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.
27 August 2020
Zola Nene on celebrating South Africa in Unchartered Season 2
ATTA®The saying ‘If you love what you do, you will never have to work a day in your life’ rings true for South African chef Zola Nene. She is incredibly talented, warm and vivacious and this all translates into her unparalleled expertise as one of South Africa’s top chefs.
Read More27 August 2020
Tourism Coup As More Visitors Flock to Tanzania
ATTA®TANZANIA'S decision to reopen its skies is now paying dividends after the East African nation registered a record tourist's arrival since June 1 this year.
Read More26 August 2020
Namibia to reopen for international tourism from 01 September 2020!
ATTA®Namibia’s Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, has announced the implementation protocols for the country’s international tourism revival initiative. The initiative, which targets leisure travellers, will come into effect on 01 September 2020. It will be reviewed bi-weekly and amended if neccessary as implementation proceeds. The full implementation protocols are still to be released, but the Minister announced a few of the “pertinent requirements” during his announcement:
Read More26 August 2020
Four More Airports to Operate Under Level 2
ATTA®In addition to the 14 airports already permitted to operate, four more airports have been given the green light to resume operations, says Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula.
Read More25 August 2020
The Cabinet has approved the new conservation fee structure for National Parks and Game Parks!
ATTA®The Cabinet of Namibia has approved the request by the country’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MET) to introduce a conservation fee payable by visitors to Namibia’s National Parks and Game Parks. The conservation fee is to be charged to all visitors in addition to existing park entry fee.
Read More25 August 2020
Wildlands Conservation awarded R34m relief funding
ATTA®The Wildlands Conservation Trust in KwaZulu-Natal has been awarded $2 million (about R34 million) in emergency relief funding by the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, a non-profit fund raising initiative, to make up for the financial loss suffered as a result of COVID-19.
Read More24 August 2020
Scientists extract more eggs from last northern white rhinos
ATTA®Scientists have successfully harvested ten immature egg cells from the last two northern white rhinos on the planet. Najin and her daughter Fatu live in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, they are unable to carry calves and so egg extraction is needed. Scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research had inseminated using IVF in the hopes of creating viable offspring to save the species.
Read More21 August 2020
GPS tracking helps identify threats to endangered vultures
ATTA®Between July and August 2020, 10 critically endangered African white-backed vultures have been discovered dead in four separate incidents in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Read More21 August 2020
Lufthansa expands South Africa-Europe repatriation flight programme
ATTA®Lufthansa has expanded its repatriation programme to include further flights between Frankfurt and Johannesburg/Cape Town as well as biweekly flights between Zurich and Johannesburg by Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS).
Read More20 August 2020
Cape Town receives global Safe Travels stamp
ATTA®The Mother City has received a Safe Travels stamp, securing its place as a safe destination for travellers to visit. The stamp is the first of its kind and it indicates that a destination is safe to venture to in terms of its strict health and safety protocols.
Read More20 August 2020
Passengers From 130 Countries Exempted From Mandatory Quarantine When Entering Kenya
ATTA®Nairobi — Passengers of 130 states traveling to Kenya will be exempted from the mandatory 14-day Quarantine aimed. Released by Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala, the countries include all East African countries, with the exception of Tanzania.
Read More20 August 2020
Kubayi-Ngubane: SA tourism sector's road to recovery has now begun
ATTA®PRETORIA - CAPE TOWN - Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said that the coronavirus pandemic had devastated South Africa’s tourism industry.
Read More19 August 2020
Latest Birth On The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary Of The Rhino Fund Uganda Brings Overall Number To 32
ATTA®Just over two weeks since the last birth of a rhino baby on the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary has the Rhino Fund Uganda reported the birth of another one little one, number 27 in the long line of this most successful breeding project.
Read More19 August 2020
Female rangers shine at Witzands Nature Reserve
ATTA®In light of Women’s Month, the City of Cape Town is showcasing the success of two female rangers, Khuselwa Mabuyane (32) and Cindy Adams (24). The pair work at the Witzands Aquifer Nature Reserve and have gone from strength to strength in their respective careers.
Read More18 August 2020
Africa Travel Week is set to launch their virtual Meetings & Masterclasses this September
ATTA®“After the 2020 edition of Africa Travel Week was postponed, we rolled out phase one of our strategy to enter the virtual space with the introduction of our online platform, Africa Travel Week Connect,” says Megan Oberholzer, Reed Exhibitions Portfolio Director: Travel, Tourism & Creative Industries.
Read More18 August 2020
Wonders of Africa Project Unveils Teal Leaders After Launch
ATTA®The much awaited Wonders of Africa Project was last month launched during a zoom conference hosted by Ikechi Uko, as team leaders across Africa were also unveiled. The Wonders of Africa Project (WOA) among other aims is to get 3 million or more Africans to travel within Africa in the next 30 months and also grow tourism and travel business back to a prosperous level.
Read More17 August 2020
Five countries join forces to fight poaching
ATTA®The five partner countries of the Kavango Zambezi (Kaza) Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA), including Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, are committed to working together to reduce poaching and illegal wildlife trade. They have recently launched an initiative to strengthen their partnership.
Read More17 August 2020
In Kenya, Maasai Entrepreneur Moves Conservancy Beyond Tourism Hit By Pandemic
ATTA®Nashulai Maasai Conservancy — As the coronavirus pandemic has dried up vital tourist dollars for Kenya's Maasai, one entrepreneur is finding ways to diversify sources of income for a community-run conservancy When Nelson Ole Reiyia first tried to get his Maasai community to plant kitchen gardens around their mud-and-thatch homesteads, clean up a nearby river and make honey, hardly anyone listened.
Read More17 August 2020
Tourism says it's ready to reopen safely as SA enters lockdown Level 2
ATTA®President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced that South Africa would enter lockdown Level 2, and the country's tourism sector has indicated that it is ready to reopen safely.
Read More14 August 2020
AAVEA announces partnership with SA Tourism
ATTA®The African Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AAVEA) is pleased to announce its new partnership with South African Tourism (SAT), the marketing agency for the Department of Tourism. SA Tourism will partner with the association for the organisation of its popular annual conference, which will be presented in a new virtual format this year, on 20 August 2020.
Read More14 August 2020
TourismRestart: Malawi to resume international flight services in September
ATTA®The Government of Malawi has announced the first week of September as the date for the resumption of international flight services to the southern African country.
Read More13 August 2020
How social are lions? Candid Animal Cam heads to the Savannah
ATTA®Camera traps bring you closer to the secretive natural world and are an important conservation tool to study wildlife. This week we’re meeting the only cats that live in groups: lions.
Read More13 August 2020
Global Body Gives Tourism in Tanzania the Safety Nod
ATTA®Dar es Salaam — The government expressed its optimism yesterday after a global endorsement of Tanzania as a destination that has implemented safety measures and precautions against Covid-19. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) gave Tanzania the "safe travels" nod, which the government said will now give travelers confidence to visit its rich and varied attractions.
Read More13 August 2020
Kruger opens some of its camps
ATTA®Kruger National Park (KNP) will partially open some of its camps for accommodation from Friday, 14 August 2020 in line with the Level 3 regulations on intra-provincial travel. The park's management said there the regulations would be strictly enforced, and travellers may only overnight in their province of residence.
Read More13 August 2020
Experience Africa, will return to London from 21 to 23 June 2021
ATTA®We are delighted to announce that Europe’s B2B travel show, focused on Africa, Experience Africa, will return to London from 21 to 23 June 2021.
Read More12 August 2020
We celebrate World Elephant Day
ATTA®To celebrate World Elephant Day on August 12, Akashinga: The Brave Ones, will air on National Geographic. Produced by Academy Award winner James Cameron and Directed by Maria Wilhelm, the film spotlighting an all-female team of rangers fighting elephant poaching in Zimbabwe.
Read More12 August 2020
Tourism Business Council of South Africa launches Covid-19 protocols safety app
ATTA®The new app will aid in the safe reopening of the industry by training business owners on the safe implementation of the Covid-19 tourism safety protocols.
Read More11 August 2020
Lions are less likely to attack cattle with eyes painted on their backsides
ATTA®The predation of livestock by carnivores, and the retaliatory killing of carnivores as a result, is a major global conservation challenge. Such human-wildlife conflicts are a key driver of large carnivore declines and the costs of coexistence are often disproportionately borne by rural communities in the global south.
Read More11 August 2020
We're developing risk management plans for tourism industry - Malawi's Tourism Minister
ATTA®The Government of Malawi is currently working on developing risk management plans for the tourism industry, which will ensure proper management of the current Coronavirus situation and future crises.
Read More11 August 2020
Leopard seal spotted on Robberg Beach
ATTA®A leopard seal was spotted on Robberg Beach in Plettenberg Bay making its way toward the surf. This is as rare a sighting as they come as their usual range are the chilly waters of the Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic islands.
Read More10 August 2020
Tourism Industry Seeks Sustainable Green Tourism Strategy
ATTA®Players in tourism are keen to invent new strategies to ensure sustainability of the lucrative industry amid calls the sector needed to move away from over-dependence on rain-fed water activities. There are fears some tourism activities would in the long run be affected by climate change, in the wake of erratic and delayed rainfall patterns, rising temperatures and human activities.
Read More10 August 2020
Baby rhino Kolisi dances for joy
ATTA®Kolisi is a white rhino orphan that was attacked by hyenas in 2019. He suffered extensive trauma to the bone and tendons in his hind foot.
Read More07 August 2020
Schroders unveils multi-asset offshore fund in South Africa
ATTA®Global asset management firm Schroders has launched an international fund for South African investors who want to access a multi-asset portfolio. The firm said the product will meet demand in the country for “quality” offshore multi-asset funds. The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA)-approved International Selection Fund Global Managed Growth fund is offering local clients “strong diversification benefits at a time when they need it most”. Schroders now has a total of 12 funds approved for distribution by FSCA.
Read More06 August 2020
Kenya unveils Health and Safety Protocols for MICE Sector
ATTA®Kenya has adopted the World Travel & Tourism Council health and hygiene global standardised protocols for its Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition (MICE) sector. This is a crucial step in the recovery process which ensures that safety and hygiene of travellers are the top priority.
Read More06 August 2020
South Africa prepares for the ultimate re-opening of tourism
ATTA®Inbound international travel might still be a way off for South African tourism, but at last there's light at the end of the tunnel. While the country remains very much in the grip of an unprecedented health crisis, things are slowly starting to change, and hope runs high in a country that relies on tourism for almost 3% of its GDP.
Read More06 August 2020
Tourism Season Unfolds in Style, As Major Flights Jet in
ATTA®THE new tourism season that was launched in June this year is unfolding in style as major airlines restart flights to and from Tanzania, bringing in a substantial number of tourists. Of latest, has been the Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) that landed at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) with more than 177 tourists who are here to enjoy the country's abundant tourist attractions.
Read More05 August 2020
Tourism recovery plan gives sector hope
ATTA®The Department of Tourism has released their draft recovery plan for the tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns. According to EWN, the Tourism Business Council of South Africa has welcomed the draft and said that recovery in their sector was expected in the next few months as a result.
Read More05 August 2020
Uganda Reports 2 New Gorilla Babies in Bwindi National Park
ATTA®Two new baby gorillas have been discovered in a Ugandan national park where a beloved primate named Rafiki was killed in June, a wildlife official announced Tuesday, saying the infants are part of a baby boom in the protected forest popular with tourists.
Read More04 August 2020
FCO Updates – 04 August 2020
ATTA®In the last 24 hours, the FCO has updated advice for the following countries.
Read More04 August 2020
Saved from poisoning, these rare African vultures take wing again
ATTA®Three critically endangered African white-backed vultures saved from poisoning last year have been released back into the wild in Zululand, South Africa. Those involved in local vulture conservation have welcomed the release as a crucial step to helping the species survive. The trio were saved from separate poisoning incidents that claimed the lives of 51 birds in total in northern KwaZulu-Natal province between October and December last year.
Read More04 August 2020
Rwandan airports reopen to travellers
ATTA®Rwandan airports on Saturday reopened to international travellers, more than four months after the East African nation suspended commercial passenger flights to mitigate the Covid-19 outbreak.
Read More03 August 2020
Africa marks sixty years of dedicated Chimpanzee research
ATTA®Jane Goodall marks sixty years of dedicated Chimpanzee research Tanzania and other regional member states of the East African community are marking sixty years of chimpanzee conservation, setting a new path for regional tourism development through visits to chimpanzee communities.
Read More03 August 2020
SANParks welcomes relaxation of regulations
ATTA®The South African National Parks (SANParks) has welcomed the announcement by the Tourism Minister on the relaxation of travel and leisure regulations.
Read More03 August 2020
Wildebeest migration captured in Maasai Mara
ATTA®Every year, more than a million wildebeest migrate between Tanzania and Kenya, along with other animals like zebra and antelope in search of greener pastures.
Read More