Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | The number of rhinos killed for their horns by poachers in South Africa dipped in 2017, but more than 1,000 were still slaughtered, the government said on Thursday. South Africa is battling a scourge of rhino poaching fuelled by insatiable demand for their horn …
Read More »Rwanda expands gorilla home
Targets more from growing population of tourism magnet Kampala, Uganda | FRANCIS BYARUHANGA | Rwanda has got a new additional habitat for its growing population of rare mountain gorillas, the Gorilla Berengei Berengei. The 27.8-hectare property (about the size of 70 standard football fields, was donated by the AWF (African …
Read More »Kenya’s Jambojet to start flights to Uganda next month
Kenya’s Jambojet to start flights to Uganda next month Nairobi, Kenya | THE INDEPENDENT | Nairobi based budget airline Jambojet is set to expand its wings in East Africa with the launch of a double daily flight between Nairobi and Entebbe starting Feburary 14, 2018. Jambojet’s chief executive Willem Hondius made …
Read More »Land donation enlarges Rwanda’s gorilla protection zone
Kampala, Uganda | ISAAC KHISA | Rwanda’s gorilla protection zone has enlarged following the African Wildlife Fund move to donate 27.8 hectares of land to Rwanda Development Board (RDB). The land is to be incorporated into the 16,000 hectares’ Volcanoes National Park, located in north-western part of the country, bordering Virunga …
Read More »Making tourism work
Tourism cannot aid economy unless some things are done right Kampala,Uganda | SUSANNE BECKEN | Would it not be great if something as simple and pleasurable as international travel could help end something as grinding and enduring as poverty? After all, the industry is booming, globally growing at least 4% …
Read More »Jamaica declares emergency over parts of island as gun crime soars
Montego Bay, Jamaica | AFP | Jamaica has declared a state of emergency in the island’s second city Montego Bay, where authorities are battling to stem a wave of killings. Tourists have been urged to remain in their resorts following the declaration by Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Thursday, resulting …
Read More »UWA boosts domestic tourism with buses
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda Wildlife Authority has boosted domestic tourism with the acquisition of five brand new tourism buses worth US$800,000. The funding was part of the US$100 million World Bank funded Competitive and Enterprise Development Project (CEDP) overseen by the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU). “The purchase …
Read More »IATA: African airlines see 7.9% rise in demand
Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced global passenger traffic results for November 2017 showing continued robust demand, including in the African region. The outlook for 2018 also looks great, according to IATA’s Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac. “The airline industry is in a good place entering 2018. …
Read More »Kenya Airways ready for non-stop daily flight from Nairobi to New York
Nairobi, Kenya | THE INDEPENDENT | Kenya Airways is set to become the first airline to offer a non-stop flight between East Africa and the United States of America starting October 2018. This will enable Kenya Airways join a small club of African airlines that fly directly to the US …
Read More »Snow traps 13,000 tourists at Swiss Alpine resort Zermatt
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Heavy snowfall has trapped some 13,000 tourists at Zermatt, one of Switzerland’s most popular ski stations, the Alpine resort said Tuesday. The snow has blocked all roads and the train leading to the resort in the southern Swiss canton of Valais, which was also hit by …
Read More »