News

29 May 2015

Home affairs solution for delayed birth certificates

Travellers who have applied for their unabridged birth certificates at least eight weeks prior to the June 1 implementation of the new immigration regulations and have not received them, can write to the Director General of the Department, who will then grant them permission to travel without it, Department of Home Affairs spokesperson Mayihlome Tshwete told Tourism Update. This follows reports that suggested that travellers who had applied for unabridged birth certificates before the June…

29 May 2015

Day Visitor Numbers to Kruger On the Rise

The Kruger National Park visitor numbers are rising by more than 100 000 in the past year. The Department of Environmental Affairs announced in a statement that both local and international visitor numbers have grown, with a particular spike in visitors from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Interestingly, the park is attracting more day visitors in particular. A total number of 1 659 793 guests passed through Kruger's gates in the 2014/2015 financial year, compared…

29 May 2015

South Africa Immigration Regulations

SATSA Chief Executive David Frost speaks out following the contoversial introduction of new rules to apply from 1 June 2015 that if you’re travelling to South Africa or transiting through a South African airport with a child you must be able to produce the child’s full unabridged birth certificate. There are additional requirements if the child is travelling with only one parent, with neither biological parent, or unaccompanied. The effect on tourism is expected to be very substant…

28 May 2015

Atta Africa Financial Update

How the money flows to Africa. In a recent study, Brookings Africa scholars explore the different types of external financial flows and their prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa, and discuss what those trends suggest about and for the region. The good news: external financial flows to sub-Saharan Africa have increased significantly over the past two decades. In fact, the volume of external flows reached about US$120 billion in recent years, up from US$20 billion in 1990. More interestingly, the…

28 May 2015

17 Things you need to know about travelling with minors in SA

To assist travellers to South Africa with their plans, Cape Town Tourism has created a summary of some of the typical questions that come up for parents travelling with children or who wish to send their children on a trip. Read here.

28 May 2015

Fastjet to Launch Flights to Vic Falls, Bulawayo

Budget airline fastjet Zimbabwe will offer two routes, Victoria Falls and Bulawayo from Harare. fastjet Zimbabwe also intends to establish international routes initially from Harare to Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa, Nairobi in Kenya and Lusaka in Zambia. The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development granted the airline an Air Service Permit (ASP) in March 2015.

27 May 2015

Ethiopia Aim At Being Among Top Five Tourist Destinations in Africa

The Ethiopian Tourism Organization (ETO) has said it is making strong efforts to promote Ethiopia to the rest of the world towards realizing the vision of becoming among the top fivetourist destinations in Africa by 2025. ETO said the organization has a vision of having about 5 million tourists to the country to generate about 7 billion U.S. dollars earnings from the tourism sector by 2025. To realize the vision, improving services is one of the top priorities of the organization and are looki…

27 May 2015

Kenya promote archaeological tourism after oldest stone tools find

Kenya will intensify diversification into archaeological tourism after the discovery of the world’s oldest stone tools in Turkana county in northwest region, officials have said. Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) managing director Muriithi Ndegwa said the government will promote conservation of historical sites to attract domestic and foreign tourists. "Discovery of the world’s oldest stone tools has reaffirmed Kenya’s enviable position as the cradle of mankind. The government w…

26 May 2015

Awesome South Africa mobile app launched to promote tourism

Developer has released his Awesome South Africa mobile app, which offers vendors and merchants in the tourism industry a platform on which to promote products, services and establishments to tourists. Awesome South Africa is available on Google Play and Apple’s App Store for free download, and is endorsed by Tourism South Africa. The app gives vendors a choice to list in one of 15 main categories, providing users with a free, detailed guide to South Africa’s tourism services.…

26 May 2015

Ethiopian to start flights to Cape Town and Gaborone

Ethiopian Airlines finalised preparations to start flights to Cape Town, 2nd destination in South Africa, and Gaborone, Botswana, as of June 30, 2015.

26 May 2015

New Airlines for Mozambique

The Mozambican Civil Aviation Authority has announced that three other airlines will compete with the national flag-carrier, Mozambique Airlines, LAM on the domestic market. Two of the companies will operate fixed wing aircraft while the third will operate helicopters. Two of the companies are in the final phase of obtaining authorizations and are Fly Africa and MAIS. Fly Africa is a budget airline based in South Africa, which claims to fly from Johannesburg in South Africa, to Harare and Vict…

26 May 2015

New road lauched from Mombasa to the South Coast

The Kenyan government launched the decades-old project of a bypass from Mombasa to the south coast, when the contractors were handed the site and put in a position to mobilize manpower and equipment to begin construction of the first of three sections. The south coast, until now, depended on the bottleneck of the Likoni ferry crossing, or else a miserable rough track purporting to be a road, which branches off the main Nairobi to Mombasa highway to reach Kwale before joining the Mombasa to Lun…

22 May 2015

Malawi growing as a Self Drive Destination

Malawi has been making the news recently as an emerging self-drive destination, with great articles in Travel Africa Magazine and Journeys Magazine and 4x4 Magazineextolling the virtues of this beautiful, undiscovered country. Its compact size, great variety, ease of travel and warmth of welcome make it ideal to explore on a self-drive. Stunning scenery, thrilling safaris, beautiful beaches and the friendliest people on the continent combine to offer an …

22 May 2015

Another domestic airline set to launch in SA

It's been a big year for the South African aviation industry, what with the launch of two brand new budget airlines and now a premium carrier waiting in the wings. In what seems like quite a sudden move, the airline going by the name Fly Go Air has announced that they will start selling tickets on Thursday, 21 May with their official launch flight between Cape Town and Johannesburg set to take place on 29 June. The airline seems to be positioning itself as a premium carrier - w…

21 May 2015

Webinar: Belmond Safaris in Botswana, a journey like no other...

25th June at 14:00 BST Belmond Safaris owns and operates three luxury safari lodges in Northern Botswana. Each lodge located in a diverse eco-system, giving one a perfect circuit of experiences, from the forested safari of Belmond Khwai River Lodge in the Moremi Game Reserve, to the semi-desert safari of Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge in the Chobe National Park, and culminating with a magical water safari at Belmond Eagle Island Lodge in the Okavango Delta - relaunching in early November 2015 a…

21 May 2015

Atta Africa Financial Update

Executive summary The African Development Bank (AfDB) will choose its new leader to replace Donald Kaberuka in May - eight candidates stand to take the continental institution on paths of continuity or change. The AfDB owes much to its two preceding leaders. Omar Kabbaj regained the crucial AAA rating for the institution in 2003; Donald Kaberuka pushed the Bank into the front line of infrastructure lending, even briefly outstripping the World Bank in disbursements for power stations and roads…

20 May 2015

International interest grows for Vic Falls airport

More international airlines have shown interest in introducing operations to the new Victoria Falls Airport. In January Priscilla Mawire, Acting Director of Vic Falls Airport, told Tourism Update that Etihad, Kenya Airways and Emirates had shown interest in launching direct flights, but that the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) still needed to engage in a more serious approach with these airlines. A spokesperson for CAAZ furthermore revealed that it was anticipated that British Airw…

20 May 2015

Walking in Mana Pools: Zambezi Society Statement

The Zambezi Society would like to clarify the current situation with regard to the recent controversial “banning” of un-escorted walking in Mana Pools National Park. Until very recently, one of the unique attributes contributing towards Mana Pools’ reputation as a global brand was the freedom of visitors to experience the wilderness in a primal way. The most recent Mana Pools Management Plan states:- “Mana Pools is probably one of the only Natio…

19 May 2015

Zambia: Help Market Tourism, Media Told

Tourism and Arts Permanent Secretary Stephen Mwansa has urged media houses in Zambia to be positive and proactive in marketing the country as a preferred destination for tourism. Mr Mwansa noted that most media houses in Zambia were currently disseminating information through online platforms, hence the need to report positively about the country to attract more tourists. Speaking in an interview in Livingstone, Mr Mwansa said perceptions about particular destinations were very important in th…

19 May 2015

New flights to Zambia’s largest national park – Kafue

Lusaka, Zambia – The wonders of Zambia’s largest national park – Kafue – will be more accessible thanks to the new route being launched by Proflight Zambia from July 1. News of the new service to the remote Busanga Plains was enthusiastically received on Proflight’s Facebook and Twitter pages - @proflightzambia - with followers expressing their delight the opportunity fly to the park rather than undertake the long journey by road. Driving times to Busanga, which i…

18 May 2015

South Africa: Tourism Minister Concerned About Visa Regulations

Tourism minister Derek Hanekom has expressed concern about the effect of new visa regulations on the tourism industry. However, it was too early to determine its exact impact on the industry that grew by 6.6% in 2014, higher than most countries' averages. There had been negative growth over the past six months from countries affected by the regulations. He said he was in discussions with Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba to try and find ways to alleviate the problem. The opposition Democ…

18 May 2015

No more yellow fever requirement for travellers from SA to Zambia

Cape Town - Travellers heading to Zambia from South Africa will no longer be required to get a yellow fever vaccination, the Department of Health has announced. Tourism Update reports that the decision was made at the World Health Assembly in Geneva on Friday and lifted with immediate effect. According to the Lusaka Times, the decision comes after the World Health Organisation confirmed that Zambia had low yellow fever exposure status. The decision is expected to boost tra…

15 May 2015

New Atta Chairman

Ross Kennedy elected as Atta’s first Africa based Chairman One of the most respected and reputable veterans in the African tourism industry Ross Kennedy, CEO of Africa Albida Tourism and Atta’s serving Southern African Director has been elected as Chairman of Atta - Former Chair, Anita Powell of Small World Marketing based in UK, moves to Vice Chair Ross Kennedy responds to his new position I amvery proud to have been elected by peers and fellow professionals, and will endeavour to…

15 May 2015

Hospitality Outlook 2015 for South Africa

South Africa’s hospitality industry is prepared to grow further in the next five years, with most growth in the sector expected to be generated in Cape Town, according to a report released by PwC today. Nikki Forster, Hospitality Industry Leader for PwC, Southern Africa says: “Although South Africa’s economy has weakened, the hotel industry in 2014 has benefited from an increase in foreign visitors and rising room rates.” PwC’s 5th edition of the ‘Hospitalit…

15 May 2015

Zimbabwe: Tourism to Earn U.S $3 Billion

The country receives about two million tourists annually, and the number is projected to rise to 3,2 million by the end of this year. REVENUE from the country's tourism industry is projected to rise to US$3 billion in the next three years before increasing to US$5 billion targeted by 2020, a senior government official has said. This would highlight the critical role that the sector is expected to play in an economy where industries have been crumbling. The projections were made by the Mini…

14 May 2015

South Africa New Visa Regs Impasse- a touch of Frost

South Africa - More than a touch of Frost 18 days to go and there is still an impasse on the new proposed Visas regulations that will be implemented on June 1st. Birth certificates will be required for children under 18 on entry into the country . David Frost CEO of Atta's partner in SA, SATSA speaks out http://www.satsa.com/impasse-on-visa-regulations-david-frost-speaks-to-ann7/ FCO Travel advice Travelling with children New rules apply from 1 June 2015. If you’re travelling to Sout…

13 May 2015

CNN to Market Kenya As a Tourist Destination

KENYA has signed an advertising campaign with CNN International to market the country's key tourist attractions. CNN announced the partnership at the Indaba travel event in Durban-South Africa, one of the continent's largest tourism events which ended yesterday. The long-term strategic campaign to promote Kenya begins this month with digital advertising on the CNN Travel section of CNN International's website, with Kenya Tourism Board spearheading the promotion. The digital activit…

13 May 2015

Ethiopian Launches Non-stop Flights from Addis to Sao Paulo

Ethiopian Airlines started serving Sao Paulo, a city in the fifth continent in its route network, with a non-stop flight from Addis Ababa since April 25, 2015. Ethiopian tri-weekly flights to Brazil are operated using the ultra-modern Boeing 787 from the major hub in Addis Ababa. The start of this non-stop service to Sao Paulo reduces transit stops for customers traveling from the rest of Ethiopian destinations. Passengers to and from Sao Paulo will enjoy maximum connectivity to destinations i…

13 May 2015

FCO Travel Update: Senegal

Senegal travel advice 12-05-2015 04:20 PM BST Latest update: Entry requirements section - a visa is no longer required to travel to Senegal

12 May 2015

Acsa Ready to Welcome Tourism Indaba Visitors

South Africa's nine principal airports are fully prepared to welcome the large volume of both local and international visitors who will be attending the Tourism Indaba in Durban this weekend. Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) spokesperson Colin Naidoo said as the owner and operator of the country's nine principal airports over the years, they have made significant investments in infrastructure in order to deal with growth in air traffic. "We are ready to welcome the thousands o…

12 May 2015

Ol Pejeta Park Fee Reduced

OL PEJETA Conservancy has lowered entry fees for East Africans, to be the same as that paid by Kenyans. The conservancy said this is in line with the launch of the common tourist visa for visitors to Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. Student groups who are East African citizens will pay Sh300, while EA resident students will pay Sh600 per person per day. Children who are East African citizens will pay Sh600 while resident students will pay Sh1,200. Adult citizens will pay Sh1,200 and residents Sh2,400…

11 May 2015

Zimbabwe Government Appoints New ZTA Board

Chipo Mtasa has been appointed chairperson of the new Zimbabwe Tourism Authority board of directors The Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry has appointed a new eight member board of directors for the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) that will be chaired by TelOne chief executive officer Chipo Mtasa. Addressing journalists in Harare on Monday, tourism minister, Walter Mzembi said the new board comes at a time when there is a general push for government to implement austerity measures i…

11 May 2015

FCO Travel Update: South Africa

South Africa travel advice 08-05-2015 01:28 PM BST Latest update: Summary - from 1 June 2015, parents travelling with children may be asked to show the child’s full birth certificate and where one parent is accompanying, proof of parental or legal authority

11 May 2015

China to launch direct air route to Africa

China will launch its first direct air route to Africa, according to an announcement by China's Southern Airlines. Operated by Southern Airlines three times a week, the new route will fly from China's southern city of Guangzhou to Nairobi starting on Aug. 5, significantly cutting travel time between China and Africa. In addition, Air China will follow the suit, opening Beijing-Johannesburg route on Aug. 30 and Beijing-Addis Ababa on Oct. 26. Famous for its natural beauty, Africa has at…

08 May 2015

Flights to Kamembe Airport in Rwanda to Resume in July

Flights to Kamembe airport are set to resume in July 2015 following the rehabilitation of the airport's run way, Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority has said. So far, 50% of the work has been done with the rest of the project expected to be completed by the end of July, Tony Barigye, RCAA's communication manager told The New Times. Kamembe airport was closed in November 2014 for renovations of the airport's runway. According to experts and sector players, RCCA must ensure that work is …

08 May 2015

New SA immigration regs – official guide

The deadline for implementation of the new immigration regulations or children travelling to and from South Africa is fast approaching, and the Department of Home Affairs has published a brochure that summarises the new regulations.Travel and Meetings Buyer has published the brochure here to help you prepare for June.

08 May 2015

FCO Travel Update: Tanzania

Tanzania travel advice 07-05-2015 11:09 AM BST Latest Update: Summary - heavy rains across the country are causing localised flooding and disrupting travel routes. Monitor local news for up to date information.

08 May 2015

Scheduled air services to KNP lodges

It is being hailed as a game changer. Airlink is feverishly building routings in global distribution systems for their new Lodge Link service that will make it easier than ever for international visitors to see the best South Africa has to offer in safari experiences in and around Kruger National Park. Tourism Updatehas been given a sneak preview of what will shortly be announced.

07 May 2015

Atta Indaba Event Guest List

The event is fully sold out and just look at the guest list! What a crowd for what is set to be the Atta event of the year sponsored by Uganda Tourism Board. Abercrombie & Kent Hein Prinsloo Abercrombie & Kent Lesley Cade Abercrombie & Kent Reuben Makau About Africa Anne Avery Acacia Africa Chris Mears Adventur…

07 May 2015

Atta Africa Financial Update

Executive summary South Africa still dominates private equity exits. Close to half of the private equity exits in Africa come from SA, but this number is set to decline over time as investors put money in higher-growth economies elsewhere across the continent. Based on numbers recently published by Ernst and Young, of the last 40 private equity exits in Africa, 19 have been from SA, 5 in Kenya, 3 in Nigeria and the rest in various countries such as Ghana, Uganda and Cote d’ Ivoire. Th…

07 May 2015

Emirates marketing agreements with South Africa, Seychelles and Mauritius

Emirates renewed its individual global marketing agreements with the Tourism Boards of South Africa, Seychelles and Mauritius. The three agreements aim to utilize Emirates’ growing global network to further boost inbound tourism to the ocean islands of Seychelles and Mauritius as well as South Africa. Under the extended Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs), Emirates together with the Seychelles, Mauritius and South Africa Tourism Boards will put into effect a range of joint The agreements wil…

06 May 2015

KTB Kicks Off Campaign to Recover French Tourism Market

Kenya Tourism Board has launched a recovery campaign for France, one of the major traditional source markets for the tourism industry. KTB is hosting more than 10 leading French international travel agents and writers in a week-long familiarisation tour in a bid to market the country in Europe. The agents who arrived in the country Friday include the top three tour operators selling Kenya in France - Vacances Transat, TUI France and Kuoni. The trip is part of KTB's Sh140 million market rec…

06 May 2015

Cable car service at the Likoni crossing

The Kenya Ferry Service is in the process of setting up an express cable car service at the Likoni crossing that will link Mombasa Island and the mainland. The Likoni Cable Car project will help in reducing jams and at the same time boost tourism in the south coast by providing a complimentary pedestrian crossing for Likoni Channel and help address problems of delays. With a capacity of 11,000 commuters per hour in both directions, tourists to and from South Coast will no longer be delayed. Th…

06 May 2015

Who will be Africa’s first trillion dollar economy?

According to data released by the United States Department of Agriculture, by 2030 Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) will be over 1 trillion US dollars. This is almost three times bigger than South Africa’s current GDP and the combined projected GDPs of Algeria, Egypt and Kenya. The report also revealed that South Africa will come in a close second with an estimated GDP of $860 billion in 2030. This suggests that South Africa is unlikely to reclaim its place as the biggest eco…

05 May 2015

Atta's Latin American Representative at Indaba

Andrea Landaeta, Atta's Latin America Representative, will be joining us at INDABA this year. If you’re interested in growing your knowledge on Central & South American countries, get some insider knowledge and ideas on how to sell your product to the Latin Market, this is great opportunity to meet with our Representative. Andrea will be available during the show at Atta's stand, if you wish to arrange a meeting with her at a particular time, please email andrea@s…

05 May 2015

Colin Bell at SA Tourism

Atta Life member Colin Bell has been nominated by SATSA and appointed to the Board of Directors at SA Tourism. Congratulations!

05 May 2015

New Route: Abu Dhabi - Entebbe

UAE's national airline Etihad Airways strengthened its presence in East Africa region with the launch of new services between its hub Abu Dhabi and Entebbe, in central Uganda. Operated by a two-class Airbus A320 aircraft with 16 business class and 120 economy class seats, the new service is designed to provide business and leisure travellers with a direct four-times-per-week service between Entebbe and Abu Dhabi, with convenient onward connections to key destinations in the GCC region, Eu…

04 May 2015

Atta Office Holiday Closure

The Atta Ofice is closed on Monday, 4th May as it is Public Holiday in the UK. We will respond to your queries on Tuesday.

04 May 2015

New hotel for JKIA

A new 175 bedroom hotel is due to open along Mombasa road, not too far from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, in just over a year’s time. The proposed Hilton Garden Inn will be operated under the brand’s management and is hoping to tap into the business market, catering for first and last night stays, airline passengers stranded after flight delays or cancellations and is also hoping to attract airline crew business. The hotel will be owned by the proprietors of the Modern R…

01 May 2015

Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda ramp up joint tourism promotion

Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda, the three countries that are part of the East African Community and whose three members constitute the Northern Corridor Integration Projects initiative are revving up their joint tourism marketing programmes to attract more international leisure and business visitors. The focus will be on continuing to position the East African region as a single tourism destination, drawing on the depth and diversity of the attractions within the region and offering an estimated 1…

01 May 2015

FCO Travel Update: Gabon

Gabon travel advice 30-04-2015 02:42 PM BST Latest Update: Consular assistance - telephone numbers for British High Commission in Yaoundé updated

01 May 2015

UNWTO expresses its full support for Kenyan tourism

During a recent visit to Kenya, UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai expressed the organization’s full confidence in the country’s tourism sector and its capacity to recover. In solidarity with Kenya and its people, and on behalf of the international tourism community, UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai visited the country to highlight the economic importance of the Kenyan tourism sector, and convey his confidence in its strong resilience. “Kenya is a true tourism succe…

01 May 2015

New Atta Members this month

It gives us a great pleasure to announce new members: - Enkosi Africa - Andorra - http://www.enkosiafrica.com/ - Arca Touring – Chile - http://www.arcatouring.cl/ - Lamu Tourism Association – Kenya - http://www.lamutourism.org - Reed Travel Exhibitions – UK - http://www.wtmworld.com - Mambulu! Safaris – Netherlands - http://www.mambulu.com - I Viaggi Di Monika – Italy - http://www.iviaggidimonika.it - Cactus Tours Madagascar – Madagascar - http://www.cactus-…

01 May 2015

Invitation to Zambia Travel expo May 21-23 in Lusaka

The Zambia Tourism Board (ZTB) invite you to the Zambia Travel Expo 21 – 23 MAY 2015 AT MULUNGUSHI INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE – LUSAKA, ZAMBIA. Theme: Promoting Tourism through collaboration NOT competition ZATEX is a live marketplace bringing together buyers, exhibitors, and the media. The Zambia Travel Expo 21 to 23 May, 2015 Mulungushi International Conference Centre To be selected as a hosted buyer please contact solistor.cheelo@zambiatourism.org.za| angela.chimpinde@zam…

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News from ATTA

News from ATTA consists of a combination of news from the African continent with relevance to African Tourism along with news about ATTA for the benefit of our members.