News
21 August 2019
Application for Membership - Vamoos
AttaVamoos has applied to join Atta. Their membership will be approved if there are not any objections lodged within the statutory 10 day period. (See objection procedure below).
Read More20 August 2019
Application for Membership - Cape Grace
AttaCape Grace has applied to join Atta. Their membership will be approved if there are not any objections lodged within the statutory 10 day period. (See objection procedure below).
Read More20 August 2019
Ethiopian Airlines Adds New York's JFK Airport to Its Network
AttaEthiopian Airlines, one of the fastest growing African carriers, has started three weekly services to John F Kennedy (JFK) Airport in New York via Abidjan. JFK is the sixth busiest airport in the United States and an international gateway into North America.
Read More19 August 2019
Rwanda: American Tourists to Rwanda Grow By 114% - Travel Agencies Say
AttaNumbers of American tourists to Rwanda have grown by 114 per cent year on year, according to data from an international travel agency network. The agency network, Virtuoso in their latest data release noted that Rwanda was among the top 10 countries that have experienced significant increases by percentage in year-over-year bookings among American travellers at 114 per cent.
Read More19 August 2019
18th CITES Conference votes to end export of wild-caught elephants into captivity
AttaThe 18th meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties has voted to end practice of removing live African elephants from the wild for export to captive facilities. CITES is the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Iris Ho, senior wildlife specialist for wildlife programmes and policy for Humane Society International, said:
Read More16 August 2019
New visa process in Tanzania
AttaPlease be aware that with immediate effect Kilimanjaro airport has changed the process of issuing visas on arrival. Clients arriving in Kilimanjaro without a visa now need to complete the following process: Queue for a Government Control Number, Queue to pay for this at the bank, Queue for Immigration to check and issue the visa.
Read More16 August 2019
Africa yet to unleash full potential of its nature-based tourism
AttaCountries in Africa can do more to develop tourism in protected areas, which would in turn create jobs in rural places, diversify and grow their economies and improve environmental resilience in the face of growing pressures, a report has said. Africa’s biodiversity could “transform” the continent’s economy, but at present many governments are scaling back on protection because of limited budgets needed for other pressing public needs, a report produced by conservation organization Space for Giants Club and the UN Environment Programme said. To preserve their wildlife and wild places, governments should look at protected areas not only as environmental assets but economic ones as well, with the continent’s 8,400 protected areas producing US$48 billion in revenue.
Read More16 August 2019
Application for Membership - African Safari Walks
AttaAfrican Safari Walks has applied to join Atta. Their membership will be approved if there are not any objections lodged within the statutory 10 day period. (See objection procedure below).
Read More15 August 2019
Home Affairs implements visa waivers for four countries which are among the big tourist sending nations
AttaThe Minister of Home Affairs Dr Aaron Motsoaledi is pleased to announce that nationals from four of the seven countries he granted visa-free status during his Budget Vote speech will be able to travel to South Africa without visas from today. He said the Department would implement visa waivers for Ghana, Cuba and Principe and Sao Tome after negotiations with these countries have been concluded. The Department is scheduled to complete these negotiations by the end of August 2019 and the implementation will follow soon thereafter.
Read More15 August 2019
Application for Membership - RCJM Travel & Tours
AttaRCJM Travel & Tours has applied to join Atta. Their membership will be approved if there are not any objections lodged within the statutory 10 day period. (See objection procedure below).
Read More14 August 2019
How a newborn rhino could help to save his subspecies cousins from extinction
AttaThe San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s 99th baby southern white rhinoceros was born recently, but the arrival of “Edward” sparked much more widespread interest than the previous 98 births of his subspecies. That’s because Edward’s conception occurred not through natural mating but via artificial insemination. He is the first southern white rhino born through artificial reproduction in the United States. The world’s five rhino species all live under severe threats to their survival, including from poaching and shrinking habitat. Some species, such as the greater one-horned rhino, number in the thousands and are considered critically endangered. The Javan and Sumatran rhinos of Asia, by contrast, are near extinction.
Read More14 August 2019
Application for Membership - Lake Duluti Lodge
AttaLake Duluti Lodge has applied to join Atta. Their membership will be approved if there are not any objections lodged within the statutory 10 day period. (See objection procedure below).
Read More13 August 2019
Singapore announces 2021 ban on domestic elephant ivory trade
AttaSingapore will ban the domestic trade in ivory from September 2021, the government said on Monday, shutting the door to an important end-market for poached elephant ivory. Demand for ivory from Asian countries such as China and Vietnam, where it is turned into jewels and ornaments, has led to a surge in poaching across Africa. The international trade in ivory has been banned since 1990 under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international treaty signed by most countries.
Read More13 August 2019
Ethiopian airlines increases connectivity to Mozambique
AttaImproved connectivity across the African continent is always a win for the traveller. The most recent addition is the announcement that Ethiopian Airlines, the largest aviation group in Africa, is launching a three-weekly flight services to the city of Beira in central Mozambique via Malawi, effective from Tuesday, 3 September 2019. Beira is the fourth largest and one of the main commercial cities in Mozambique and will serve as a gateway to most of the countries in Central Africa with potential tourist attractions, says the airline.
Read More12 August 2019
Tanzania has largest number of lions in Africa, new report says
AttaTanzania has the largest number of lions compared to other African countries, a new report says. There are estimated to be between 14,000 and 15,000 lions in the country today, thanks to an extensive network of protected areas in form of national parks, game reserves which form at least 300,000 square kilometres. "This ensures sufficient space for the lions to hunt (feed) and breed and protection from human disturbance and for the ecological balance needed for their survival," said Dr Dennis Ikanda, Principal Research Officer in charge of Carnivore Ecology and Conservation at the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (Tawiri) yesterday.
Read More12 August 2019
The Economic Impact of Global Wildlife Tourism - WTTC
AttaEach year, the illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is worth at least USD 23 billion. IWT is the fourth largest category of illegal global trade and is responsible for threatening a broad range of endangered species. Protecting wildlife is therefore an immense challenge. The global Travel & Tourism sector is an important part of the world economy accounting for 10.4% of global GDP and supporting one in ten jobs on the planet (319 million). Quantifying the value of wildlife tourism as an important niche within global Travel & Tourism is a crucial step towards providing the data that helps prove the economic value of protecting wildlife habitats; acting as a positive counterbalance to environmentally destructive yet economically profitable practices.
Read More09 August 2019
Join the Business of Conservation Conference, Kigali, September 8th and 9th
AttaThe African Leadership University’s School of Wildlife Conservation will host the second annual Business of Conservation Conference in Kigali, Rwanda on September 8th and 9th with optional events hosted on September 7th.
Read More09 August 2019
Addo Elephant Park has a new marine protected area
AttaA total of 1 127 square kilometres of sandy beaches, rocky shores, reefs, an estuary and islands, were last Thursday officially declared as the Addo Elephant National Park Marine Protected Area (MPA). “A marine protected area is an area of coastline or ocean that is specifically protected for the benefit of people and nature,” said Fayroush Ludick, Regional Communications Manager at SANParks. “They help manage part of the marine environment to rebuild fisheries populations, keep marine ecosystems working properly and protect the range of species living there.”
Read More08 August 2019
City of Cape Town's partnership with New York City to attract foreign direct investment
AttaThe co-marketing agreement between the City of Cape Town and New York City is expected to increase the demand for travel between the two cities and assist in attracting foreign direct investment into Cape Town. In a statement, the City of Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for economic opportunities James Vos said the partnership received an extra boost with the recent announcement of a direct flight between Cape Town and New York, which will be introduced later this year.
Read More08 August 2019
Application for Membership - Mayo Wynne Baxter
AttaMayo Wynne Baxter has applied to join Atta. Their membership will be approved if there are not any objections lodged within the statutory 10 day period. (See objection procedure below).
Read More