The US was the top market for Kenya for foreign arrivals from January to September this year, according to the Kenya Tourism Research Institute’s January-September 2019 tourism performance report. The report highlights international arrival statistics breakdown by points of entry, the Top 30 source markets, the Top 10 source markets in comparison with January-September 2018…
Due to current financial conditions, South African Airways’ Board of Directors and the Department of Public Enterprise within the South African Government have announced that South African Airways will be placed under business rescue with immediate effect. The business rescue process in South Africa is very similar to the Chapter 11 protection under U.S. bankruptcy laws, which will allow South African…
When United Airlines announced its new non-stop route from the New York City area’s Newark Liberty International Airport in April, it was seen as a huge win for tourism to the South African city, which is the legislative capital of the country, as well as home to top attractions like the flat-topped Table Mountain and…
The Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) will host the 5th annual Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) from February 4-6 at the Speke Resort in Munyonyo. The three-day tourism and travel trade exhibition will bring together regional and international tour operators, travel agents, destination agencies and other service providers to network and facilitate tourism business. Lilly…
AirVentures Balloon Safaris and An African Anthology have launched hot air ballooning in the Chobe region in Botswana. The operation, managed by AirVentures, will be based at Elephant Valley Lodge within the Kasane Forest, but the activity is also available to guests at other camps in the region. AirVentures offers balloon safaris over the vast Seloko Plains concession. The…
This month, chefs on Mumbo Island, a camp on an uninhabited island in the Lake Malawi National Park, paired with South African food stylist and recipe guru Juleta Hirner, for a week of intensive kitchen training. Juleta focused on the global Vegan food trend and helped the team develop a delicious new Vegan menu; with…
South African Airways (SAA) says the first day of normal operations went smoothly as workers returned to work Saturday, following an eight-day wage strike which ended with a deal between management and unions on Friday, 22 November 2019. Employees affiliated to unions, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the South African…
The longest beachfront promenade in Africa was officially opened on November 16 in Durban. The 750m extension of the promenade has increased the promenade to over eight kilometres, from Blue Lagoon to the Durban Harbour mouth. The promenade extension is wheelchair friendly and boasts a first aid room, undercover parking bays and a lifeguard tower,…
Pact Malawi has been awarded a grant of $12 million to implement a project called ‘Restoring Fisheries and Sustainable Livelihoods in Lake Malawi’ (REFRESH) by USAID to be implemented from 2019 to 2024. Speaking during a startup workshop for the project on Monday, Chief of Party for PACT Malawi, Alan Brooks said the purpose of…
Rwanda has been voted one of the top 30 global emerging travel destinations for 2020, and number-one overall in Africa, in the 2020 Emerging Destination Awards by TravelLemming.com. The site promotes emerging destinations around the world as a solution to over-tourism. Winners were selected from votes by 30 popular travel bloggers, who collectively have more…
South African Airways is implementing the re-accommodation policy due to the ongoing industrial action by SACCA (South African Cabin Crew Association) and NUMSA (National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa). All SAA international flights to/from New York-JFK, Washington, DC-Dulles, London, Frankfurt, Munich, Sao Paulo, Hong Kong and Perth were restored by Monday, November 18…
Taylors Africa Mobile Safaris (TAMS) has launched a safari train between Victoria Falls and Bulawayo. The train, which comprises six compartments, carries a minimum of 10 and up to 12 guests, however special arrangements can be made for more guests. TAMS MD, Charles Taylor, says the adventure can start at either Bulawayo or Victoria Falls. “If…
South African Airways (SAA) regrets to announce that South African Cabin Crew Association (SACCA) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) have given required notice of the intention for their members to embark on industrial action against South African Airways, possibly as early as Friday, November 15, 2019. In an effort to…
In one of the largest international rhino translocations to date, 17 Endangered Black Rhinos have made the historic journey from South Africa to Liwonde National Park in Malawi In a unique collaboration between WWF South Africa’s Black Rhino Range Expansion Project (BRREP), African Parks, Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife,…
Effective today, The Department of Home Affairs in the Republic of South Africa has announced an exemption of the requirement to carry supporting documents for children from visa-exempt countries. FOREIGN CHILDREN FROM VISA EXEMPT COUNTRIES ENTERING OR DEPARTING THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA In terms of section 31(2)(c) of the Immigration Act, 2002 (Act…
Kenya Airways has signed an agreement with Safarilink, to provide passengers with connectivity to tourist destinations in Kenya and Tanzania. The airlines will partner on destinations in Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Diani, Kapese, Kitale, Lewa Downs, Loisaba, Migori, Samburu, Lamu, Zanzibar, Ukunda, Vipingo, Kilimanjaro, Tsavo West, Samburu, Nanyuki and Lodwar. Safarilink has a network of connecting…
South African government will deliver endangered black rhinos to Malawi following signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two countries on Friday in Lilongwe. Minister of Natural Resources Energy and Mining Bintony Kutsaira and the South Africa High Commissioner Ahlangene Sigcau finalised the paperwork for the MOU in Lilongwe The deal was sealed…
The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) has launched the Seychelles Nature Trail (SNT) competition, to be held in May 2020. It aims to further promote the archipelago’s concept of green tourism as well as enticing potential visitors to discover Seychelles’ rich biodiversity. The 25km trail, which will take place in Mahé on May 3, will go…
Airlink is pleased to announce that it will be re-introducing its early morning flight between Cape Town and Windhoek from 18 November 2019. The additional morning flight will operate weekdays, Monday to Friday departing from Cape Town International Airport at 05h55 arriving at Windhoek – Hosea Kutako at 08h00. The return flight will depart from…
Malawi made aviation history this week as it became the first African country to host an extraordinary profile world conference for female pilots, tagged the Ninety-Nines (The 99s). In an interview, Ivana Alvares-Marshall, a pilot who operates from Malawi and who also governs the African Chapter of the Ninety Nines, said the grouping decided to…
The Malawi Department of Immigration and Citizenship Service wishes to announce the launch of an online visa service for visitors to Malawi effective 1st November 2019. Through the Malawi online visa service, applicants will be able to register and login on the e-visa platform, fill and submit and application, upload supporting documents including applicants photo…
A new study released at the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) by food and beverage (F&B) strategy & design firm KEANE (www.KeaneBrands.com), forecasts that 700 new hotel restaurants and bars will be opened in Africa by 2025, in internationally branded hotels. The prediction is based on KEANE’s research into 410 F&B venues across the 100 internationally branded hotels…
Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) linking Nairobi with the resort town of Naivasha, welcomed its first passengers on October 18, a day after its launch by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. “The completion of the Nairobi to Suswa section of SGR is expected to revolutionise development of this region through affordable transport. It will also stimulate tourism…
South African National Parks reports that Numbi Gate at Kruger National Park will remain closed owing to protests on the access road to the park. Visitors are requested to use alternative gates to enter or exit the park. Read more from Tourism Update
‘Sustainable Tourism and National Parks – Plastic-free National Parks,’ was the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) theme at this year’s Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE) in Nairobi. KWS was one of the participants (and the only wildlife conservation organisation) at MKTE exhibition – an annual, influential platform for tourism networking and business transactions whose focus is…
Cox & Kings, The Americas has suspended operations and is unable to pay its suppliers for trips that have already been booked, according to a confidential email obtained by Travel Weekly. Although the tour operator said it is in talks with an investor interested in taking over the company, travelers who have already booked trips…
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was awarded the 100th Nobel Peace Prize in an announcement Friday morning. The prime minister last year helped broker a historic peace deal between Ethiopia and Eritrea, where leaders of the neighboring countries signed a “Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship” and declared an end to nearly two decades of…
The newly-created Kenya Convention Bureau announced that Mrs. Jacinta Nzioka has been appointed as its new director. Previously, Jacinta served for several years as Director of Marketing at the Kenya Tourism Board. At one stage she was also Acting CEO while a new CEO was being sourced. It is understood that parliamentary oversight may still have to confirm the…
Is it possible to run a marathon in under 2 hours? Olympic champion and world record holder for the marathon, Eliud Kipchoge, and his team proved Saturday morning the answer is yes. In front of a cheering crowd, the 34-year-old Kenyan native ran 26.2 miles in an unprecedented time of 1:59:40. His average mile time…
Some 67 million tourists visited Africa in 2018, representing a rise of 7% from a year earlier, making Africa the second-fastest growing region when it comes to tourism, after Asia Pacific. African countries are now reaping the benefits from positive policy changes coupled with increased investments in the sector, that have made it a more attractive destination for…
Air Kenya resumed its service into the Mara North Airstrip in the Masai Mara on October 5 after satisfactory completion of repair works. Services had been suspended into the Mara North Conservancy Airstrip due to the condition of the airstrip. Read more from Tourism Update
Kenya’s Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala was on Friday evening elected to chair the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Executive Council. In the election, which was held during the 111th Session of the 23rd UNWTO General Assembly in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Balala emerged top. He will be deputised an Italian during the one-year tenure,…
Bordering Tanzania and Mozambique, Malawi is a relatively small country in southeastern Africa. However, it is actually home the fourth largest freshwater lake in the world (by volume), Lake Malawi. Lake Malawi is home to more species of fish than any other lake in the world, and Liwonde National Park in the southern part of the country is home to…
The much anticipated new addition to the Latitude Hotels portfolio has now opened in Kampala Uganda. With views stretching out over Lake Victoria, and over the city of Kampala, Latitude 0° sits among indigenous orchid-filled trees atop of Makindye Hill, approximately 6 kms from the CDB, and 45 minutes from Entebbe International Airport. The hotel…
It used to be a familiar sight: a halo of ragged plastic bags festooning the trees, around Kenya’s towns and villages. Sometimes the plastic scar stretched for miles. Since such bags take a thousand years to break down, the wound on the wilderness didn’t go away — it just proliferated. Kenya’s world famous national parks…
South African Airways (SAA), the national carrier of South Africa and Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, announced today a new code share agreement for customers traveling between New York and the Seychelles. Air Seychelles will add its “HM” code on SAA’s nonstop flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport…
Kenya is playing host to tourism business people from about 50 countries participating in this year’s Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE), the largest tourism fair in the region organized by Kenya Tourism Board (KTB). The tourism exposition which is set to run from 2 nd to 4 th October, 2019 will be preceded by tours…
Natural Selection’s Lekkerwater Beach Lodge at De Hoop, in South Africa’s De Hoop Nature Reserve, will be closed until November 1 due to flooding, confirmed Colin Bell, Co-founder of Natural Selection and Developer of the Lekkerwater Beach Lodge. Bell told Tourism Update that the lodge had experienced at least 100ml of rainfall over a 20- to 30-minute period,…
The Radisson Hotel Group has opened a new Radisson Blu and Residence in Nairobi, Kenya. The Radisson Blu Hotel and Residence, Nairobi Arboretum is close to the city centre and 45 minutes from the airport. The hotel features 122 rooms, each with a private balcony, 24-hour room service and free WiFi. Other features include a…
Air Kenya has issued a notice that they will be suspending their service into Mara North Conservancy Airstrip in the Maasai Mara, with immediate effect. The airline has closed the airstrip until further notice due to the current state of the runway. Agents with existing Air Kenya bookings to Mara North Conservancy Airstrip should amend their client’s itinerary to…
The Duke of Sussex has paid tribute to a British soldier killed during a counter-poaching operation in Malawi. Prince Harry laid a wreath for Mathew Talbot, 22, who was killed by an elephant in May. The duke was “honoured” to pay respects to Guardsman Talbot, who played a “huge part” in conservation efforts, a post on his…
Airlink confirms that it has added more flights between Cape Town and Hoedspruit in response to market demand during December 2019 and January 2020. Additional flights will operate on: 24 Dec, 26 Dec, 27 Dec, 28 Dec, 29 Dec, 30 Dec, 2 Jan, 3 Jan, 4 Jan and 5 Jan. Flights depart Cape Town at…
The Duke of Sussex is in Angola as part of a wider ten-day tour with his family, taking in South Africa, Botswana and Malawi. Unlike these other countries, Angola rarely features on travellers’ wish lists. So are we missing something? For clarity, Prince Harry is not visiting Angola for tourism. It was in Huambo in 1997…
Air France will launch a direct service between Paris and the Seychelles, on October 30. Air France confirmed with Tourism Update that flight AF 246 will depart Paris at 17h00 and arrive in the Seychelles at 06h20 the next day. The service will be operated by an Airbus A330, on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Read more from…
Lake of Stars sold out: 2019 Malawi ‘camping’ festival set for new discoveries in Nkhata Bay. Organisers of this year’s Lake of Stars scheduled for this weekend at Kachere Kastle in Nkhata Bay on the shores of Lake Malawi say all the tickets to the festival have been sold. Read more here
Due to recent announcement by government of Tanzania, local government election will be on 24th November therefore it is not advisable to have an event on the election day for security reasons. The board of directors and management have discussed with our major sponsors and exhibitors and have all agreed to reschedule this year’s event…
Joined to fight the threat of malaria, the governments of Kenya, Ghana, and Malawi have launched a landmark vaccine pilot program known as RTS,S. Malaria is estimated to kill a child every two minutes and is a leading killer of children in Kenya. As such, a major goal of the new vaccine is its availability…
The annual APTA Forum concluded in Chicago on Saturday night following two days of successful seminars, presentations and networking opportunities at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel. This year’s edition of the Forum brought over 90 travel professionals with a focus on Africa together over two days of unforgettable inspiration. APTA would like to thank the Forum…
Kirsty Perring, owner of Traversing Africa and APTA Executive Board member, hosted a fundraiser in Toronto recently to create awareness for rhino conservation. The event was held at Parcheggio at Bayview Village and Grant Fowlds, a passionate wildlife conservationist and ambassador for Project Rhino flew in from South Africa to speak about the vast increase…
Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE) will take place between the 2nd and 4th of October, 2019. Calling on registration as a trade visitor. Please get in touch with: exhibit@mkte.co.ke or hosting@mkte.co.ke for registration and other detailed information you may require. For more information, please log on to www.mkte.co.ke