Mauritius tourism news update – Port Louis council launches cultural heritage programme
CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION PROGRAMME LAUNCHED IN PORT LOUIS Earlier in the week did the Port Louis municipal council, jointly with the US Embassy, launch a cultural heritage conservation programme. The initiative is aimed to preserve and promote the islands heritage beyond the two globally recognized UNESCO World Heritage Sites Mauritius already has under her belt. […]
Tanzania conservation news – Minister for Education launches new national ‘World Heritage Committee’
TANZANIA LAUNCHES ITS OWN WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE The Minister for Education and Vocational Training, and notably not the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, earlier this week launched a 7 member national World Heritage Committee, causing both applause and bafflement amongst regular pundits. Led by Prof. Kabuli the committee is tasked to, amongst other things, […]
Kenya tourism news – Magical Kenya Travel Show set for October 19 and 20
MAGICAL KENYA TRAVEL SHOW TO HIGHLIGHT KENYAS ATTRACTIONS Nairobi will see the inaugural version of Kenyas own international tourism show go underway when on October 19th and 20th the industry will be showcasing the countrys attractions from its sunniest side at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Kenya’s capital city. The exhibition, planned for a […]
Uganda aviation news – Contract handling or self handling, a yet to be answered question by the UCAA
THE OBSTACLES TO SELF HANDLING ARE MANY AND DELIBERATE Entebbe International Airport remains the regions highest priced handling location for airlines as dominant player ENHAS has to contend only with DAS Handling, which maintains itself through a handling contract from Kenya Airways but not much more, and that one courtesy of a major row a […]
Rwanda conservation news – Gishwati next for national park status?
GISHWATI FOREST IS LINED UP AS RWANDAS NEXT NATIONAL PARK Sources close to the Rwanda Development Boards Tourism and Conservation Division have confirmed earlier in the week that Gishwati Forest, featured recently in RwandAirs inflight magazine INZOZI, has now been designated as a tourism attraction, confirming suggestions by this correspondent some months ago already that […]
Kenya tourism news – Minister urges the use of 4×4’s for safaris
USE QUALITY PURPOSE BUILT SAFARI VEHICLES SAYS BALALA As part of Kenyas drive towards quality tourism and to further shed the image of being a cheap destination has the Minister for Tourism urged safari operators to move away from the use of the conventional mini busses and use purpose built 4×4 vehicles, which project the […]
Kenya conservation news – WWF supports re-forestation along Mara River catchment area
WORLD WIDE FUND FOR NATURE TARGETS MARA RIVER BANKS FOR RE-FORESTATION It was learned overnight that the Mara River, one of the key life arteries of the Masai Mara ecosystem, will get a welcome boost as some 25.000 tree seedlings will be planted from its catchment areas along the banks of the river and its […]
Kenya tourism update – Hemingways goes upcountry
WATAMUS HEMINGWAYS GOES UPCOUNTRY What was once upon a time the Seafarers Hotel, set on one of Kenyas best beaches in Watamu, has of course since those old days turned into the even more famous Hemingways, in this correspondents mind one of the top resorts along the Kenyan coast. The name was chosen as indeed […]
Uganda news update – Kampala dismisses Kenyan media reports over Tanzanian rail links
KAMPALA DOWNPLAYS SNUB SCENARIO OVER TRANSPORT LINKS WITH TANZANIA Political observers close to the seat of power in Kampala have downplayed the emerging talk in Kenyas media that Uganda was to shift its imports from the Kenyan port of Mombasa to Tanzanian ports, following a state visit by President Museveni to Tanzania last week. While […]
Tanzania news update – Hoteliers brace for more electricity rationing
TANZANIAS HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY BRACES FOR MORE POWER RATIONING News emerged in Dar es Salaam yesterday about the further reduction of hydro electric power generation from at least two dams, reducing further the output of electricity available for consumers. It appears that the low level of water in the reservoirs behind the Mtera dam had lowered […]
Kenya tourism news update – Former Tourism PS and KTB CEO must stand trial
FORMER TOURISM PS AND KTB CHIEF EXECUTIVE MUST STAND TRIAL Behind the scenes maneuvering and legal tactics by defense teams seem to have failed for the former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism Rebecca Nabutola and the former Chief Executive of the Kenya Tourist Board Dr. Onggonga Achieng, as news emerged yesterday evening from […]
Seychelles conservation story – Aldabra, the apple of the eye in the Garden of Eden
ALDABRA THE APPLE OF THE EYE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN Splendid isolation comes to mind when looking up Aldabra, the worlds second largest coral atoll and part of the Seychelles archipelago. Aldabra is so large in fact that the entire main island of Mahe would comfortably fit inside the atoll, not that anyone would […]
Kenya tourism news – More charter flights heading for Mombasa
ADDED CHARTERS HEADING FOR MOMBASA AMID HOPES AND DOUBTS Information from aviation sources in Mombasa tells a story of hope and doubts at once, when details become known that more charter flights, including from Poland and Russia, were heading for Mombasas Moi International Airport as of next week. The new all inclusive tour charter flights […]
Uganda conservation news – More controversy keeps the UWA Commission of Enquiry in the public spotlight
MINISTER OF CROCODILES CANNOT SHUT UP EITHER Rash decisions and bad decisions triggered all this and it is entirely Otafires fault that UWA is now in tatters said a source close to the centre of the ongoing controversy, when it became known that the now Minister for Justice had gotten once again involved in the […]
Uganda news – More CHOGM cases sent to court affecting top politicians
MORE CHOGM CHARGES AGAINST SENIOR POLITICIANS ROCK POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT The Inspector General of Government moved swiftly over growing allegations that former Vice President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya was singled out and kept in remand jail while awaiting his bail application to be heard by the High Court, when more charges against senior politicians were brought. Conspiracy […]
Kenya conservation news – Elephant relocation from Narok to Masai Mara concludes first stage
62 ELEPHANT GET RELOCATED INTO THE MASAI MARA Information was sourced from Nairobi that the recently mentioned relocation of a herd of elephant from the Narok District in Kenya into the Masai Mara Game Reserve has been concluded earlier in the week, after a total of 62 animals, instead of the initially envisaged 50 had […]
Ethiopia aviation news – Four new B777F orders placed by Ethiopian Airlines
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES SNEAKS IN AN ADDED 4 B777 ORDERS In a rather stealthy way has Ethiopian Airlines apparently ordered yet another 4 Boeing B777F aircraft, as it just became known and confirmed by a source in Addis Ababa. The airline had kept this development secret but when news began to leak through international aviation blogs, […]
Tanzania aviation news – Precision Air’s IPO starts this Friday
PRECISION AIRS SHARES ON SALE AS OF FRIDAY The long awaited IPO of Precision Air will finally go underway this Friday, when nearly 59 million ordinary shares will be floated, expected to be bringing in some 28 billion Tanzania Shillings. The capital raised is expected to help finance the airlines ambitious fleet development plans but […]
Kenya tourism breaking news – Kitili Mbathi appointed as KTB Chairman
KITILI MBATHI APPOINTED KENYA TOURIST BOARD CHAIRMAN Well known banker, and during his successful time in Uganda as CEO of Stanbic Bank a close acquaintance of this correspondent, Kitili Mbathi was yesterday afternoon introduced to the public as the new Chairman of the Kenya Tourist Board by Najib Balala, Minister of Tourism in the Kenya […]
Tanzania breaking news – Somali pirates arrested off Mafia Island while attacking an oil exploration ship
TANZANIAN NAVY UNITS CAPTURE PIRATES NEAR MAFIA ISLAND These fellows are getting more daring by the day now and we are really worried that there are militants amongst them who might try to do something similar here like they did in Kenya was the comment of a regular source when asked to give a perspective […]
Kenya tourism news – Lamu occupancies nosedive, tourism takes a hit
CANCELLATIONS SEE LAMU TOURISM TAKE A BIG HIT Information received from sources in Kenya speak of a wave of cancellations for beach resorts in and around Lamu, arguably accelerated by a directive from the tourism ministry not to close establishments even when occupancies drop to near zero, which sent further jitters down the spine of […]
East Africa news – Kenyan minister’s remark on border security baffles South Sudan and Uganda
KENYAN MINISTERS REMARKS ON SOUTH SUDAN / UGANDA BAFFLE OBSERVERS Sources from both South Sudan and Ugandas political establishment have expressed their consternation with remarks made by Kenyas Lands Minister James Orengo before his parliamentary committee on defense and foreign relations, when he mentioned the two countries in the same context of border violations by […]
Uganda news update – Drivers strike at Malaba border brings imports / exports to a halt
CUSTOMS QUARRELS AT BORDER HALT IMPORTS AND EXPORTS Truck drivers at the border between Uganda and Kenya at Malaba have gone on strike and blocked traffic yesterday, halting the flow of goods between the two countries. According to reports the drivers were incensed by what they call arbitrary decisions by the Uganda Revenue Authority to […]
Weekly roundup of news from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, First edition October 2011
TOURISM, AVIATION AND CONSERVATION NEWS from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region A weekly roundup of reports, travel stories and opinions by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Get daily breaking news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthome or read the daily postings on my blog via: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com Many of these articles then also […]
Rwanda aviation news – Will Nigerian State Visit serve as launch pad for RwandAir’s flights to Lagos?
NIGERIAN STATE VISIT PRECURSER TO RWANDAIR FLIGHTS TO LAGOS? Nigerian President Jonathan Goodluck is expected in Kigali for a two day official state visit, aimed to discuss a more intense political cooperation as well as stronger trade and investments links between the two countries. The visit is also considered by regular observers as a precursor […]
Hospitality news update – The power of TripAdvisor, but what if they are wrong
TRIPADVISOR COMMENTS PLEASE SEND THEM FROM HOME, NOT FROM THE HOTEL A raging controversy has broken out between a previously Number One ranked hotel and TripAdvisor, after the latter had red flagged the property for allegedly writing their own reviews. The Riverside Hotel and Restaurant in Evesham / Worcestershire in the UK appears to be […]
Kenya news update – Stung by criticism Kenya government finally reacts to security crisis
STUNG BY CRITICISM KENYA GOVERNMENT FINALLY REACTS TO SECURITY CRISIS Stinging criticism over alleged complacency and even incompetence have produced the expected knee jerk reaction by the Kenyan government, which had come to realize that a lot more than just soothing words and empty assurances were needed to calm down the storm last weekends second […]
Tanzania news update – Previously ‘banned’ ships return to serve Pemba route
FERRY TRANSPORT SHORTAGE PROMPTS RETURN OF PREVIOUSLY BANNED SHIPS Information was received from a source in Dar es Salaam that the Zanzibari maritime authorities have lifted the bans on two previously grounded ships, one out of service for several months already while the second was grounded following the sinking of the MV Spice Islander with […]
Uganda news update – CHOGM prosecution ends former Vice President in remand jail
CHOGM AFFAIR HAUNTS FORMER VICE PRESIDENT The unfolding prosecutions over allegations of misuse of funds for the 2007 Commonwealth Summit have claimed their first major scalp when former Vice President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya saw his bail cancelled, when the anti corruption court committed him for trial to the high court. While it is expected that […]
Kenya aviation news – Kenya Airways receives yet another E190 jet
LOW KEY CEREMONY MARKS ARRIVAL OF YET ANOTHER EMBRAER E190 IN NAIROBI Last Saturday did yet another Embraer E190 aircraft arrive in Nairobi at the Kenya Airways base in Embakasi, bringing the total number of this aircraft type to now four. One more delivery from an original order of 5 E190 placed in 2010 is […]
