Breaking News – Kenya’s ‘Obamaville’ to get 25 bedroom hotel
‘OBAMAVILLE’ TO GET NEW HOTEL The paternal home village of US President Barack Obama, located near Kenya’s lakeside city of Kisumu, is due to get a 25 bedroom hotel built, after the Kenya Tourist Development Corporation has agreed to co-finance the project with an investor. Kogelo has risen to instant fame when Obama won the last […]
Kenya Tourist Board introduces new chairman Michael Joseph
KTB INTRODUCES MICHAEL JOSEPH The long expected ‘welcome’ party by the Kenya Tourist Board was finally held last week when KTB formally introduced their new chairman Mr. Michael Joseph to the tourism trade and invited guests. Joseph, long serving founder CEO of Safaricom in Kenya, retired late last year from Kenya’s most successful mobile phone company, […]
Kenya Tourist Development Corporation ‘ready to sell shares’ held on behalf of government in hotels, lodges and resorts
KTDC SHARES IN LODGES, HOTELS AND RESORTS TO BE DIVESTED THIS YEAR News were confirmed yesterday by sources in Nairobi, that the government has apparently decided to divest, finally, in 2011 of shareholdings presently held by the Kenya Tourist Development Corporation in hotels, resorts and lodges around the country. In many cases will the present […]
Breaking News – SSRC confirms 98.83 percent yes vote for South Sudan independence
REFERENDUM RESULTS CONFIRMED – INDEPENDENCE COMING The South Sudan Referendum Commission, known in short as SSRC, has yesterday confirmed the final results of the independence referendum held in the South Sudan but also in the north of the country, in neighbouring countries with substantial South Sudanese Diaspora populations and in fact across the world in […]
Weekly tourism news round up from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region – Second edition February 2011
TOURISM NEWS from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region Reports, Travel Stories and Opinions By Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Twitter: @whthome Blog: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com Second edition February 2011 Uganda News LAKE FERRY RESUMES OPERATIONS The Ministry of Works and Transport finally conceded that serious errors were made in the past agreement they had […]
Seychelles to welcome Tanzanian delegation for ‘Carnival’
ZANZIBAR VICE PRESIDENT HEADING FOR SEYCHELLES ‘CARNIVAL’ In an almost bizarre twist was it now confirmed that a Tanzanian delegation, led by the second vice president of Zanzibar (which has its own government alongside the union government), will be visiting the Seychelles for the ‘Carnival Festival’ in early March. This follows a public spat by sections […]
News updates from Air Seychelles
NEW SALES OFFICES FOR AIR SEYCHELLES A new international ticket sales office is now fully operational at the Mahe International Airport, with extended office hours and a revamped interior reflecting the quality of service passengers come to expect when travelling with the ‘Creole Spirit’. A new domestic ticket sales office has been re-launched too after […]
Red Colobus subspezies now under ‘acute threat’
RED COLOBUS COLONIES UNDER THREAT IN UDZUNGWA FOREST A report from researchers and scientists, released earlier this week in Tanzania, paints a gloomy picture over the future survival of the endemic red colobus monkeys of the Udzungwa Forest National Park. The subspecies, apparently only found in this part of Southern Tanzania, are under severe threat […]
Breaking News – Rwanda records rare twin birth of mountain gorillas
MOUNTAIN GORILLA TWINS BORN Good news were received this morning from a regular source in Kigali. Trackers and rangers in close contact with the ‘Hirwa Group’ have reported that one of the females, named Kabatwa, had given birth to a set of twins. This is a very rare event indeed, the last one witnessed 7 […]
Breaking News – Are yet more woes for Precision Air part of an orchestrated and rather more sinister campaign against them?
TAA FAILS TO CONNECT TAXIWAY TO NEW HANGAR The 5+ million US Dollar maintenance hangar, built by Precision Air and due to be ready by latest March this year, will most likely have to stand idle for some time longer as the Tanzania Airports Authority, responsible for the management and infrastructure at Dar es Salaams’ […]
Breaking News – New capital city for South Sudan?
NEW CAPITAL FOR NEW COUNTRY? Reliable sources in Juba, the present capital of the autonomous region of South Sudan, have given a stronger indication than ever before that a new capital city may become reality after independence has been achieved on the 09th of July this year. Juba, also the state capital of Central Equatoria […]
Rwandan students airlifted back home from Cairo
RWANDAIR BRACES CAIRO UNCERTAINTIES A special charter by RwandAir was operated over the weekend to airlift some 44 students back home, as the situation in Cairo and other parts of Egypt remains tense. The operation was supported by the Egyptian civil aviation authority and Cairo airport authorities – RwandAir is not flying otherwise to Egypt – […]
Breaking News – Hunting in Tanzania, a guarantee for more controversy
RENEWED CONTROVERSY OVER HUNTING IN TANZANIA Information was received from Dar es Salaam that government will open tenders for hunting block concessions on the 10th of February this year, when bids will become known for the now 190 hunting blocks created across the East African country. While some areas are set aside apparently for subsistence hunting […]
Breaking News – Court case against Precision Air termed ‘frivolous’
LEGAL CASE AGAINST PRECISION AIR TERMED ‘FRIVOLOUS’ A case filed in the Tanzanian High Court in Dar es Salaam a few days ago, against the country’s leading airline Precision Air over an alleged claim of about 230.000 US Dollars, has been called ‘frivolous’ by regular aviation observers in Tanzania. Due for a hearing on […]
Breaking News – Rwanda commits to restoration of forest cover by 2035
RWANDA PROMISES GREATER EFFORTS TOWARDS RE-FORESTATION On the occasion of the official launch of the UN’s ‘International Year of Forests’ did Rwanda’s environment minister make a formal commitment, that the government in Kigali would restore the ancient forest belt across the country by 2035. While this may for the uninformed observer sound like a […]
News Update – Ethiopian takes delivery of third brand new B777-200LR
ETHIOPIAN TAKES DELIVERY OF THIRD B777-200LR Last weekend saw a third brand new extra long range B777-200LR join the ET fleet. Currently operating a fleet of 45 aircraft, Ethiopian has a further 34 aircraft on order, amongst them the long delayed B787 and other wide bodied aircraft from Boeing and Airbus. Two more of the B777 are due for […]
South Sudan contemplating own currency
while the regime in Khartoum is planning to ditch the Pound and revert to the Dinar of old … CURRENCY REVISION FOR BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH Information was leaked earlier in the week that the regime in Khartoum was making preparations to recall all Pound notes as they were preparing to revert to the Dinar […]
UWA shares gate receipts with Lake Mburo communities
UWA SUPPORTS LAKE MBURO COMMUNITIES Over 177 million Uganda Shillings were yesterday handed over to communities living outside the Lake Mburo National Park by the Uganda Wildlife Authority as part of their mandated gate receipt sharing scheme. The funds will be used to complete projects the communities had agreed with UWA in the past to improve the […]
Breaking News – RwandAir announces Brazzaville flights from March
RWANDAIR’S BRAZZAVILLE FLIGHTS SET FOR MARCH Next month will see the launch of RwandAir’s 13th destination across Africa when flights to Brazzaville / Congo will commence. Depending on demand the airline will use either a B737 – two brand new B737-800’s are also due to join the fleet later this year – or their proven workhorse […]
Kenya Airways’ new E190AR enters service
NEW EMBRAER E190AR JOINS KENYA AIRWAYS’ FLEET A brand new E190AR (advanced range) was delivered to the Kenyan flag carrier recently, bringing the total of their Embraer aircraft to now 6 – with more expected in due course. The new airliner, equipped with ‘in-seat screens’ for the inflight […]
Khartoum regime ‘accepts’ interim referendum results
KHARTOUM ACCEPTS REFERENDUM RESULTS News emerged today from Khartoum that the regime has ‘recognized’ the preliminary results published by the SSRC – South Sudan Referendum Commission – which indicates a 99+ percent yes vote for independence from the North. At the same time have regime figures openly blamed the SPLM – Sudan People Liberation Movement for the […]
Seychelles wetland conservation efforts termed ‘exemplary’
SEYCHELLES WETLAND CONSERVATION EFFORTS ‘EXEMPLARY’ While observing the World Wetlands Day across the archipelago the Seychelles’ conservation efforts were described as a ‘model’ and example for others. The Seychelles are blessed with extensive coastal and marine protected areas, jealously guarded by a range of governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations and the pride and joy […]
Precision Air resumes Mwanza – Bukoba service
PRECISION AIR RETURNS TO BUKOBA – LOOKS AT EXPANSION The rise of Precision Air to the level of a quasi national airline – in view of the decline of Air Tanzania over the past years – has brought new connections to the Tanzanian travelling public. It was learned earlier in the week that Precision has […]
Lake Victoria’s MV Kalangala back in service – finally
LAKE FERRY RESUMES OPERATIONS The Ministry of Works and Transport finally conceded that serious errors were made in the past agreement they had signed with a private sector company to run and maintain the ferry. Built by government and paid for with taxpayers money the ferry was to address serious safety and scheduling concerns […]
Zanzibari tour operators complain about pollution
RESORTS ACCUSED OF LITTERING AND POLLUTION The Zanzibar Association of Tour Operators has during the recently concluded annual general meeting made a range of allegations towards a number of resorts and private residences along the island’s beaches. The asked government to take corrective action against open disposal or rubbish, littering and pollution of the ocean’s […]
Fly 540 Tanzania news update
LOW FARES BY FLY540 RATTLE TANZANIAN COMPETITION The recent introduction of flights between Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s Indian Ocean port city, and Mwanza, the Tanzanian Lake Victoria municipality, has hit the market with a ‘bang’ as the fares charged by Fly540 are reportedly as much as 50 percent lower than the ones demanded for by for […]
Tourism News from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, First edition February 2011
TOURISM NEWS from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region Reports, Travel Stories and Opinions By Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Twitter: @whthome Blog: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com First edition February 2011 US ADMIRAL ADMITS THAT PIRACY EQUATES TO TERRORISM US Vice Admiral Mark Fox was quoted last week in an AFP news services release that ‘only counter terrorism […]
Breaking News – Cairo transit – too hot to handle?
CAIRO TRANSIT – TOO HOT TO HANDLE? As information filtered into Uganda about international airlines cancelling their scheduled flights to Cairo and other Egyptian ‘hot spots’ while charter airlines were busy flying passengers home from the Red Sea resorts and other tourist centres in Egypt, travel agents here in Uganda – and reportedly also […]
Breaking News – Kenya’s air fare wars escalate yet more
AIR FAR WAR ESCALATES YET MORE Overnight were news received from Nairobi, that Kenya Airways has done a ‘double’ on Fly 540 and other airlines like Jetlink, when they once again used their seemingly deep pockets and lowered fares on the domestic routes to both Mombasa and Kisumu. In one fell swoop did KQ, now […]
Tourism News from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, Fourth edition January 2011
TOURISM NEWS from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region Reports, Travel Stories and Opinions By Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Twitter: @whthome Blog: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com Fourth edition January 2011 Uganda News MOBILE OPERATORS NOW TARGET INTERNATIONAL TARIFFS The move last year to an almost uniform tariff of 3 Uganda Shillings per second for calls […]
