Seychelles tourism news update – STB promotes honeymoons at ‘Bride and Groom’ exhibition in Kampala
SEYCHELLES WORKS UGANDAN HONEYMOON MARKET Weddings in Uganda are big business and so are honeymoons. Last week did the New Vision, Ugandas leading daily newspaper, organize a Bride and Groom exhibition, lasting for three days. Pearl Hoareau, Managing Director of the Uganda Travel Bureau and Tourism Ambassador in Uganda for the Seychelles, hosted Amia Jovanovic […]
Uganda travel news – Of airports and airports
OF AIRPORTS AND AIRPORTS As a frequent traveler I am probably in a better position to judge the functionalities of our regional airports, and the pain inflicted by overzealous security officials on those having to travel by air, or those simply coming to have a holiday of a lifetime. In Nairobi for instance, vehicles continue […]
Tanzania conservation news – New national anti poaching unit launched
TANZANIA ACTS ON POACHING Following growing concern amongst the conservation fraternity over the number of poaching incidents and seizures of blood ivory and other wildlife trophies has government at last, and many say rather belatedly acted late last week. A national anti poaching unit was introduced to be deployed as and where the situation may […]
East Africa conservation news – Telling the good news is apparently not always welcome news
TELLING THE GOOD NEWS IS NOT ALWAYS WELCOME NEWS The proverbial media paranoia, fed of course and nurtured by a repressive government in Dar es Salaam which has been clamping down on the local media, and equally hard on suspected informers, has reached a new level it seems. The scenario: one gets hold of newsworthy […]
Uganda tourism news update – Geo Lodges use ‘Bride and Groom’ exhibition to promote honeymoons
GEOLODGES AT BRIDE AND GROOM EXHIBITION TO PROMOTE DOMESTIC HONEYMOONS The current exhibition ongoing at the UMA Lugogo Showground, focusing entirely on weddings and what it needed to make them a success, and affordable by the way, has been used by Geo Lodges Uganda to promote their lodges, the Rain Forest Lodge in Mabira, the […]
South Sudan news – New currency only from now on
NEW CURRENCY ONLY FROM NOW ON The one month transition period of using both new and old outgoing currency notes in South Sudan came to an end during the week. After exchanging nearly 750 million US Dollars worth of old currency notes against the new notes introduced upon independence from the oppressive regime in Khartoum, […]
Seychelles news update – Fibre Optic Cable project ‘on track’
FIBRE OPTIC CONNECTION REMAINS ON TRACK Information was received from Mahe overnight that a meeting of contractors and project promoters established that the planning for the laying of the fibre optic cable was on track and on time. Work is expected to commence in February 2012, when a specially equipped ocean vessel will begin the […]
Rwanda aviation news – RCAA trains more personnel at Kanombe International Airport
RCAA TRAINS MORE IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE Airport personnel at Kanombe International Airport but also staff from several airlines, including RwandAir and Akagera Aviation amongst others, were trained during the past two weeks in emergency response protocols and firefighting techniques, to overall improve the safety standards at Rwandas main international aviation gateway. While the airport reportedly […]
Tanzania aviation news – Precision to launch IPO in October, finally
PRECISION AIRS IPO FINALLY GETS TAKE OFF CLEARANCE Regulatory authorities in Tanzania have finally bowed to increasing pressure to allow Precision Air, Tanzanias premier privately owned airline and partner of Kenya Airways, to go ahead with their long planned and often halted initial public offering of shares. Government in Dar es Salaam had come under […]
Tanzania tourism news – Grading and classification work gets a boost with more assessors graduating
HOTEL ASSESSORS GRADUATE 17 course participants graduated during the week from a two month training exercise aimed to equip them with knowledge and skills how to rate and grade hotels, resorts, safari lodges and other hospitality businesses. The East African Communitys effort to harmonize the standards of the hospitality industry in the region is gradually […]
Uganda conservation news – Keep Mabira, we don’t want it says Mehta
MEHTA NOW DECLINES MABIRA FOREST OFFER In an unexpected turn of events has the head of the Mehta Group family publicly turned down an offer from government, to give the ailing sugar company over 7.000 hectares of prime rain forest to expand their sugar cane plantations. The comments were reportedly made at a meeting of […]
Seychelles news update – Record arrivals from China this year confirm STB strategy
RECORD CHINESE ARRIVALS FOR SEYCHELLES With several months still to go in 2011 the arrival of Chinese citizens have already exceeded the entire arrival number for 2010, itself a record breaking year, and the current trend shows an increase of more than 75 percent compared to last year. Active promotion, by the Seychelles Tourism Board […]
Seychelles news update – Election time, new party new game?
SEYCHELLES ELECTION TIME NEW PARTY NEW GAME? With the general election just a few weeks away now the Seychelles politics are set to change as a new political party, the Popular Democratic Party is entering the main arena of an election fight for the first time. Long time opposition leader Wavel Ramkalawan, following his significant […]
South Sudan news update – ‘Put us on global maps please’
WHEN WILL SOUTH SUDAN GET ON THE MAPS Ever tried to get the Weather Channel show you the temperatures and daily weather updates from Juba, the capital of the newly independent South Sudan? Think again. The relentless propaganda by the former slave regime in Khartoum has managed to keep Juba off the Weather Channel map, […]
Seychelles news update – La Digue meeting assures tourism stakeholders of better policing
GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES MORE RESOURCES TO POLICING The Seychelles government has responded swiftly to calls by the tourism fraternity to strengthen security measures, acknowledging that the safety of tourists and citizens alike was a high priority and needed extra input, also in line with President Michels commitment to vigorously combat crime and social ills across the […]
Seychelles aviation update – Air Seychelles confirms Dreamliner commitment and moves towards EU emission compliance
AIR SEYCHELLES CONFIRMS DREAMLINER FOR 2013 Information was received from Mahe overnight that Air Seychelles will begin receiving their ordered B787 Dreamliner aircraft as of 2013, with no specific delivery date however confirmed as yet, probably because Boeing is still struggling to get production of their latest commercial aircraft revved up. Other African airlines like […]
Kenya news update – Malindi hoteliers want modern fire fighting equipment
MALINDI HOTELIERS WANT FIRE BRIGADE UPGRADED A recent fire in Watamu, which reportedly destroyed several holiday villas and nearby buildings, brought renewed demands from members of the coast branch of the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers to improve the fire fighting capabilities. Tourism is the most significant business in Malindi and Watamu and the […]
Kenya tourism news – Stakeholders furious over state of Narok – Mara road
FIX THE MARA ROAD OR ELSE Tourism stakeholders have once again demanded that the Kenyan government finally lives up to its often made and yet to be delivered promises, to have a crucial tourism road fixed up. The section of road between Narok and the Sekenani gate, a major entrance to the world famous Masai […]
Uganda news update – Airtel follows MTN with higher tariffs
AIRTEL FOLLOWS MTN WITH 4/- PER SECOND TARIFF The honeymoon clearly is over now amongst Ugandas Telecom companies as the number two in the market, Airtel, also moved their tariffs to the 4/- Shillings per second range with immediate effect. Also citing higher cost in a statement literally copied and pasted from the one MTN […]
Kenya aviation news update – Fleet expansion by Kenya Airways causes fears amongst competitors
KQS FLEET EXPANSION CAUSES OTHER AIRLINES TO WORRY (One of Kenya Airways brand new E190AR) Within hours of Kenya Airways serving notice of intent about its future, when they signed a 26 aircraft deal with Embraer of Brazil, did other airlines express their fears in an uncharacteristically candid fashion in communications with this correspondent. Fly […]
Tanzania conservation news – Grumeti Reserves under the spotlight AGAIN
GRUMETI RESERVES UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT AGAIN Investigations have been launched against some Grumeti Reserves wardens over the alleged beating of a poaching suspect, who later died in hospital. The three staff are now in custody alongside a game officer from a nearby outpost, who was also arrested to help with investigations. The alleged poacher was […]
Rwanda aviation news update – New B737-800 to enter commercial service this weekend
RWANDAIRS NEW B737-800 TO ENTER COMMERCIAL SERVICE THIS WEEKEND (The state of the art cockpit of RwandAirs new B737-800) It was learned overnight that upon completion of the mandatory crew training and check out on the new B737-800 the aircraft is due to enter commercial service this weekend with flights to Dubai via Mombasa and […]
Uganda news update – Telecoms wars continue on a different platform
TELECOM WARS MOVE TO OTHER PLATFORMS The announcement by MTN to double its call rates from 2 Uganda Shillings per second to 4 Uganda Shillings per second is the first such rise since Warid Telecom entered the Ugandan market and Airtel took over Celtel/Zain last year. Telecom operators since then kept lowering call charges, and […]
Uganda news update – Inflation goes beyond 21 percent
INFLATION JUMPS TO OVER 20 PERCENT Ugandans woke up to shock news when the latest data of the Uganda Bureau of Statistics and from the Bank of Uganda emerged overnight, suggesting the annual inflation rate had risen to 21.4 percent in August. Alongside this piece of bad news came yet more bad news, that banks […]
Seychelles aviation news – ‘HM’ ends UK MoD contract to Falklands
AIR SEYCHELLES MOD FLIGHTS TO FALKLAND ISLANDS END THIS WEEK Information was sourced from Mahe that the contract between the British Ministry of Defense to operate flights between the UK air force base in Brize – Norton and the Falklands, via Ascension Island is going to expire this weekend and that ‘HM’ will not be […]
East African aviation news – Dar aviation conference draws over 200 participatns
AFRAA BLASTS AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS AT AVIATION MEETING IN DAR The African Airline Association took advantage of the just ended aviation conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to expose once again the lack of implementation of the Yamoussoukro Declaration, besides highlighting on behalf of their members the pressing issues of investments in the aviation infrastructure and […]
Zanzibar festival news – Jahazi Jazz and Literature Festival this weekend
ZANZIBAR TO LAUNCH SECOND MAJOR CULTURAL FESTIVAL September 02nd until 04th will see the inaugural edition of the ‘Jahazi Literary and Jazz Festival’, to be officially launched by Zanzibar’s President Ali Mohamed Sein. The island is already home to one of the most significant music and cultural festivals on the entire African continent, Sauti Za […]
African conservation breaking news – 800 tusks confiscated in Hong Kong
MORE IVORY CONFISCATED IN HONG KONG Nearly 800 elephant tusks were yesterday found in containers, shipped from Africa via Malaysia to Hong Kong. The consignment weighed nearly two tons and is estimated to have a street value of about 13 million Hong Kong Dollars. CITES’s Secretariat and Interpol will be conducting a DNA analysis on […]
Seychelles conservation breaking news – SNPA gets new board
SEYCHELLES NATIONAL PARK GETS NEW BOARD The Minister for Environment, the Hon. Joel Morgan, has yesterday appointed a new board of directors to guide and supervise the Seychelles National Park Authority. Mr. Flavien Joubert has been appointed the Chairman of the Board while Dr. Frauke Dogley, CEO of the Seychelles Island Foundation, was appointed to […]
Kenya aviation news update – Aviation links on bilateral talks agenda with the US
KENYA TO DISCUSS AIR LINKS WITH US A bilateral meeting between the United States and Kenya at the end of September will have aviation on the agenda, it was understood from a source in Nairobi. The inexplicable cancellation of a Delta Airlines inaugural flight in early 2010, ostensible over obscure ‘security concerns’, caused consternation in […]
