Kenya’s 2018 tourist arrivals grew by 37.33 percent from the previous year to cross the two million mark for the first time, posting a significant growth in earnings to Sh157 billion. The earnings are an 31.2 percent improvement from the Sh119 billion earned in 2017, according to Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala. The latest statistics…
The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority has temporarily closed Saadani Airstrip due to maintenance. The airstrip closed on January 6 and will reopen on February 8. According to Coastal Aviation, the destination has already been restricted from sale during the closure dates, and existing bookings are being contacted by Coastal Aviation’s reservations department to arrange different…
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has opened its first Hyatt-branded hotel in Ethiopia, and its seventh in Africa, the Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa. The property has 188 rooms, including 12 Regency suites, two Executive suites, one Presidential suite, and one Royal Presidential suite with four bedrooms. There is also the Regency Club room where guests have access…
Tunis Tunisia, Gambia and Dakar Senegal were all named some of the 52 Places to go in 2019 by The New York Times. #27 – Tunis Freedom is what makes Tunis unique. Eight years after it kicked off the Arab spring, Tunis remains the only Arab capital with real freedom of expression, not to mention…
European travelers love Tunisia, and it shows. Despite the U.S. having travel alerts in place, Europeans travel again to Tunisia. Tunis Tourism receipts went up to USD 1.4 billion in Tunisia from January to 20 December 2018, according to numbers provided by the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts to the news agency Tunis Afrique Presse…
Bloomberg’s annual “Where to Go in 2019” list is out and of the 21 destinations featured, two are in Africa: Kenya and Chad. KENYA If you don’t have the flexibility for a long trip but have always wanted to watch 1.7 million wildebeests thunder across the Maasai Mara, this is the year to realize your…
RwandAir, the flag carrier airline of Rwanda based at Kigali International Airport in Kigali, announced plans to launch service to Ethiopian capital city of Addis Ababa in April 2019. RwandAir will operate five direct weekly flights from Kigali to Addis Ababa. The airline will use CRJ-900NG aircraft to operate the new route. With flights to…
Boeing and Lagos-based Green Africa Airways today announced a commitment for up to 100 737 MAX 8 aircraft, evenly split into 50 firm aircraft and 50 options, as the airline gears up to begin commercial operations. The total deal carries a list-price of $11.7 billion, the largest aircraft agreement from Africa, and will be reflected…
Ministry of Tourism is to establish five regional tourism councils in January next year as part of the Tourism Recovery Strategy. Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala says the five tourism council blocs that include in Rift Valley, the Lake Region, the Northern Region, Nairobi and the Coast will partner with the Kenya Tourism Board in promotion…
AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort and Spa has opened a new lounge at Seychelles International Airport. The CIP (Commercial Important Person) Payanke Lounge, named after the White-tailed Tropicbird, officially opened on December 6. According to David Savy, Chairman of the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority, on average one million passengers pass through the airport each year on both…
South Africa is becoming more accessible for traveling families through updated regulations. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) announced on December 1st, 2018 that they are relaxing some of the regulations for children traveling to South Africa. The announcement comes at a pivotal point for family travel as the Festive Season, a time when many…
The Okavango Delta is a freshwater wetland in northern Botswana that stretches some 1,200 to 3,000 square miles, depending on the season. It’s one of the most biodiverse regions on the continent, home to elephants, cheetahs, rhinos, endangered wild dogs, and hundreds of species of birds. Over the course of three weeks, three filmmakers joined…
This follows agreements signed between Turkish President Recep Edorgan and President Edgar Lungu during the former’s visit to Zambia in July. Zambian government has assured Turkish Airlines of all necessary support to its operations. Minister of Transport and Communications Brian Mushimba says government is providing airlines establishing new routes with incentives. The A330, configured in…
Rwanda’s capital city Kigali will be home to a 134 hectare urban park in the city’s biggest valley in 2020. The Nyandungu Urban Wetland Eco-Tourism Park will conserve wetlands and habitat for wildlife while providing walking and cycling trails, fish ponds and botanical gardens for residents and tourists. http://www.ipsnews.net/2018/12/rwanda-build-ecotourism-park-kigali/
Set adjacent to the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, Rafiki Safari Camp is the perfect base when exploring the wilderness of Malawi. Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve is something of a birding mecca and this newly revitalised game park is now stocked with some of Africas favourite large vertebrates, making your safari holiday complete. Rafiki Safari Camp boasts spacious…
Air Botswana has procured a new Embraer ERJ170, and has resumed direct Gaborone-Cape Town flights. The flights operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The airline suspended the flights in February, after the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) grounded CemAir flights due to CemAir’s alleged failure to submit credible proof of compliance to SACAA. Minister of Transport…
AirKenya and Safarilink both resumed operations into the Mara North Airstrip in the Maasai Mara, on December 8. The two airlines previously suspended services to and from the airstrip on October 30, due to its unserviceable condition. According to AirKenya, if passengers’ preference is to fly into/from Mara North Airstrip and they booked an alternative due…
Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker, said: “The inaugural flight to the beautiful coastal city of Mombasa marks further growth and strengthening bonds between the State of Qatar and Kenya. We are thrilled to be the first Middle East airline to offer direct flights to Mombasa, our second gateway into Kenya. “The people of…
The Kenyan tourism board, in partnership with CornerSun Destination Marketing, kicked off their US roadshow this week with workshops in Boston on Dec 3rd and Washington DC on Dec 5th. The events are aligned with the launch of the new direct service on Kenya Airways from New York-JFK to Nairobi, which began October 28th. 13…
African Parks a non-profit conservation organization has translocated nine Giraffe from South Africa to Majete Wildlife Reserve in Chikwawa. With the translocation, the population of Giraffes in the country has been increased to 30 as of now. Public Relations Coordinator for African Parks, Fran Read said the translocation was carried out through a partnership with…
Zimbabwe and Zambia are engaging regional counterparts Botswana, Angola and Namibia over the possibility of adopting the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Uni-Visa to expedite the movement of tourists. The KAZA Uni-Visa was introduced as a pilot project between Zambia and Zimbabwe during the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly, co-hosted by the two countries in 2013.…
Four activity vehicles to be used to transport tourists with mobility challenges for game drives were unveiled on Tuesday, December 4, by Lucy Nhlapo, GM: Marula Region of the Kruger National Park on behalf of KNP management. The 14-seat vehicles form part of the KNP Visitor Management Plan, and can lift a weight of up to…
Habitas plans to open its first hotel in Africa. The new hotel will be situated in Namibia, about an hour’s drive from Hosea Kutako International Airport. Oliver Ripley, CEO of Habitas, revealed that Habitas has reached an agreement with Comsar Properties to convert its property into a wildlife and nature conservation reserve, housing a 40-room…
Kenya Tourism Board, working in partnership with CornerSun Destination Marketing, has opened registration for the upcoming Kenya Travel Workshops to take place in Boston, Washington DC & New York City. Qualified travel advisors and tour operators interested in participating should register at the following links: Boston – December 3rd at the über chic, Liberty Hotel…
The New York Travel Show will be held on 27 January 2018 – 29 January 2018 at the Javits Convention Center in New York. This is the largest travel trade show of its kind in the US, and the largest consumer travel show in the country, attracting over 20,000 consumer attendees over 3 days. More…
Tour Operator iWorld of Travel has officially added Malawi to their portfolio of destinations announcing a special “Lunar Eclipse Spectacular” package for 2019. The program includes Lilongwe, Liwonde and Mangochi 7 Days / 6 Nights (January 17th – 23rd, 2019) Prices starting from $2,755 per person Journey Overview: View the lunar eclipse from Lake Malawi Experience…
The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and African Parks made history in May 2017, when a small founder population of Cheetahs was successfully relocated to Liwonde National Park in Malawi, restoring the population of this threatened species at least 20 years after its extinction in the country. Now, history has been made again, as the first cubs have been born…
The Pan African Hotel group, ONOMO Hotels chain, has opened its business in Rwanda, seeking to boost business tourism in Kigali and the rest of East Africa. ONOMO Hotels officially inaugurated their new hotel in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city, in addition to their portfolio during an auspicious and glamorous event hosted late last week. The…
The Maputo–Katembe Bridge in Mozambique, Africa’s longest suspension bridge that costed a whooping US $750m has officially been opened to traffic. Financed by China and built by China Road and Bridge Corporation, the project began in June 2014. The entire structure is nearly 3km long, comprising a kilometre-long ramp on either side of a 680-metre span over Maputo Bay,…
Wilderness Safaris has introduced new fully serviced, privately-guided mobile camping safaris in Namibia. The exclusive safaris speak to adventurous travellers who want to “get back to nature and explore the vast and pristine wilderness areas”, with an expert guide, but with the comforts of a pre-setup camp. “The term ‘full serviced’ means that there is…
Lilongwe Wildlife Trust has launched a Malawi Conservation Experience, which gives participants the opportunity to work with animals and contribute to the country’s conservation drive. Feeding into the “travel with purpose” trend, the two-week experience combines hands-on work with rescued animals at Malawi’s only wildlife sanctuary, assisting with elephant and primate research, and spending time…
RIU Hotels has just opened the Riu Palace Boavista, which is its fifth hotel in Cape Verde and its third on the island of Boa Vista, following a total investment of 70 million euros. The five-star hotel is located by Praia das Dunas and it offers the exclusive all-inclusive 24-hour service of RIU together with…
The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) alongside its partners will be the driving force behind the Seychelles Ocean Festival, an event that promotes marine-based tourism in the island archipelago. The event is an opportunity for STB to sensitize the local population about the role and importance of the marine world for Seychelles as a destination, the…
The Greater Kruger Card App, is a state-of-the-art tourist information system for those visiting the greater Hoedspruit, Panorama, Kruger National Park (KNP) and Lowveld regions in South Africa. It aims to improve tourist safety with live push notifications alerting users to any protest action or blockades, whilst providing up-to-date maps and information on activities, accommodation…
Kenya Tourism Board is increasing its efforts to promote travel to the country by appointing CornerSun Destination Marketing to support ongoing marketing efforts in North America. The move comes just a week after Kenya Airways began the first direct flights from New York’s JFK to Nairobi. CornerSun will begin its promotional campaign with a multi-city…
CornerSun Destination Marketing has added Kenya Tourism Board to their growing list of clients securing project based marketing representation services for KTB through 2019. CornerSun’s first responsibility will be to execute a multi-city roadshow for Kenya in Boston (3 Dec), Washington DC (5 Dec) and New York (6 Dec). During 2019, they will conduct a comprehensive…
Leslie Lodge, a luxury Bed & Breakfast located in the heart of Malawi’s largest city, Blantyre, has been awarded Number 1 Bed and Breakfast Lodge in Blantyre by world-renowned review site TripAdvisor. Leslie lodge has repeatedly received 5 star reviews from guests, earning the 1st place award out of 22 currently listed B&B accommodation. The…
Ethiopian members of parliament have elected Sahle-Work Zewde as the country’s first female president. Ms Sahle-Work is an experienced diplomat who has now become Africa’s only female head of state. Her election to the ceremonial position comes a week after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appointed a cabinet with half the posts taken up by women.…
Completing the Kenya Authorized Travel Specialist (KATS) Program will not only qualify you as a Kenya Authorized Travel Specialist with the Kenya Tourism Board, it will undoubtedly boost your Kenya sales. From multi-generation safari-goers to honeymooners to luxe safari clients, Kenya is an easy sell destination for a multitude of clients. Benefits include: Two continuing…
The Elewana Collection would like to notify you that guests due to fly to the Masai Mara with either AirKenya Express or Safarilink Aviation due to stay at Elewana Elephant Pepper Camp will now land at Musiara Airstrip. Guests will be transferred by vehicle to the camp, which is approximately a one hour drive. The…
For the ultimate in luxury on the lakeshore, The Makokola Retreat have now opened a set of brand new stunning lakeside suites and a sunset villa boasting terrific views of Lake Malawi, with state-of-the-art infinity pools for the perfect getaway. Built along the far side of the resort, pitched by the beach on the shores…
Last month, the celebrated festival of music and culture Lake of Stars returned to Malawi for its 15th anniversary event, smashing all previous festival records and delivering a 3-day extravaganza that left festival goers in awe. Despite challenges including high winds and sandstorms Lake of Stars shone brightly, proving it’s worth yet again as Malawi’s…
As interest in travel to Uganda continues to grow, Uganda Tourism is pleased to announce the successful habituation of three gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Following approximately two years of daily exposure to humans, these gorillas have been incorporated into the country’s gorilla trekking program, bringing the total…
Airlink has introduced a business class service to it’s Cape Town-Victoria Falls route. The airline offers direct flights from Cape Town to Victoria Falls. The business class service will be available to international premium travelers who arrive in Cape Town and travel directly to Victoria Falls. A premium cabin will be available to the passengers…
Leslie Lodge in Blantyre, Malawi has been completely revamped. The lodge was taken over by new owners at the end of 2016. The renovation included an overhaul of all guest rooms as well as the addition of seven more rooms with a fresh look and trendy feel. The lodge now has 17 rooms, 13 of which have…
Tintswalo at Lapalala Wilderness has opened in the Waterberg region, Limpopo. It is one of only two commercial lodges within the 44 500-hectare Lapalala Wilderness Reserve. The family-friendly lodge comprises seven luxury tented suites with private plunge pools, en-suite bathrooms and outdoor baths and showers, and includes a two-bedroom family suite. The lodge accommodates a total…
The Kigali Cultural Village (KCV) in Rwanda’s capital city has completed phase one of construction. Located on Rebero Hill, Kicukiro District, with expansive views of the city, the facility is due to be an eco-tourism and cultural village to promote and conserve the culture and environment of Rwanda. According to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB),…
The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) has opened two new hiking trials in the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve. The Belvedere day walk is estimated at around five hours and will start at Bourke’s Luck Potholes, head to Belvedere Guest House and then back to Bourke’s Luck. The Waterval trail is a three-day-long hike…
I wish people would focus on what I do, not what I wear,” First Lady Melania Trump lamented on the final day of her solo four-country trip to Africa, which took her last week to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt. She was reacting to criticism of the pith helmet she had worn earlier in Kenya.…
With its amazing reduced rates for international guests held for the rest of the year, Nkwichi Lodge’s latest newsletter has an overview of what to expect on Lake Malawi over the next few months, plus a run-down of the various activities available at the lodge and across the Manda Wilderness Reserve. For the remainder of…