TOURISM

Offers man and gorilla a touch of luxury |Anne Quito| The most glamorous mountain gorilla “education center” has opened in Rwanda. Built in a remnant of an old volcano crater, the Bisate Lodge offers guests the opportunity to learn about the critically endangered apes in their natural habitat, while staying …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | A controversial online auction of rhino horn set to open Monday has been delayed by two days after a legal challenge delayed the South African permit for the sale, the organisers announced. Outraged conservationists say the three-day auctoin could undermine the global ban on rhino …

Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE |  Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) on August 17 displayed 65 kilograms of ivory they say they impounded from a one, Hussein Elhusseiny, an Egyptian national. Vincent Seruma, the assistant commissioner for corporate and public affairs, told reporters at the URA headquarters on Thursday that Elhusseiny, …

Barcelona, Spain | AFP |“Never again a summer like this”: Exasperated with the hordes of visitors they blame for making their city unliveable, Barcelona residents have risen in protest. The hugely popular Catalan metropolis has become the latest European hotspot to eye tourism with hostility. From the romantic canals of …

Hagatna, United States | AFP | Tourism-dependent Guam is looking to cash in on its new-found fame as a North Korean missile target, tapping an unlikely promotional opportunity to attract visitors to the idyllic island and prove that all publicity is good publicity. Pyongyang’s threats to launch four missile strikes near …

Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Saudi Arabian billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is to invest more than $800 million in hotels in Egypt, the investment ministry in Cairo said on Monday. The announcement came after parliament in May adopted a new law aimed at attracting foreign investment as the authorities seek …

Madrid, Spain | AFP | France retained its position as the world’s favourite tourism destination in 2016, the UN’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said Wednesday, defying concerns over terror attacks. The United States came second followed closely by Spain, according to annual figures that the Madrid-based UNWTO normally announces in January, …

Uganda participaes in Astana EXPO 2017, takes trade potential to central Asia Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda last week showcased her business, tourism and national achievements at the ongoing Astana EXPO2017 in Kazakhstan. The highlights of the Uganda day on July 24th 2017 included a press conference, a presentation …

Abidjan, Ivory Coast | AFP |  Authorities in Ivory Coast have seized a record haul of three tonnes of pangolin scales worth an estimated $82,000, in what officials on Thursday called a “massacre”. Eight men of various African nationalities were apprehended overnight on Tuesday as they prepared to sell their …

Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda | AFP | Nicaraguan singer Hernaldo Zuniga brought his entire family to trek through the lush forests and mist-shrouded volcanoes of northwestern Rwanda in search of mountain gorillas. He described their encounter with the critically endangered primates as “an almost spiritual” experience, and said it was the …