News
31 March 2014
New Bridge to link Zambia and Botswana
Construction of the multi-million dollar Kazungula Bridge that will link Zambia and Botswana is expected to commence in July this year. A joint press statement issued by the Zambian Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications Yamfwa Mukanga and Botswana’s Minister of Transport and Communications Nonofo Mohlefi in Livingstone yesterday announced that the ground breaking ceremony that was planned for March 28 has been rescheduled to July. The two ministers noted that a lot…
Read More28 March 2014
Responsible Tourism Protects Wildlife
Atta is adopting the slogan Responsible Tourism Protects Wildlife at our events. The Atta CEO was invited to the Tourism Ministers meeting at ITB on anti-poaching hosted by UNWTO and it appears that the industry is at last waking up to the horrific slaughter of Rhino & Elephant over the last year. Our first event to carry this banner will be at Indaba, at the Atta annual Networking Hooley, sponsored by Kenya Tourism Board. Our first conference headed “Responsible Tourism Protec…
Read More28 March 2014
The top 10 wonders of the world...
Lonely Planet reveals the world's 10 greatest wonders... and Africa tops the list...
Read More28 March 2014
This Week at Atta HQ
Good morning, and welcome to the end of another month! I’d like to wish all of the mothers amongst you a Happy Mother’s Day for Sunday! Well, it is officially Mothering Sunday in UK, but maybe not in your country but the thought is there! We need to spoil our Mum's anyway. Also the clocks "Spring Forward " by one hour on Sunday, getting closer to you guys in Africa, so we will officially be on British Summer time, GMT + 1, reducing UK to two hours behind East Africa a…
Read More26 March 2014
Commercial News from Africa
Kenya tops region in 2013 private equity fund deals. Kenya signed the highest number of private equity deals last year in sub-Saharan Africa ahead of its main rivals South Africa and Nigeria.The country recorded 12 private equity deals to South Africa's 10 and Nigeria's 9 - this from a PE report released by Deloitte and others. Most of the deals were struck in East Africa, 26, followed by West Africa, 24. Off-grid solar market attracts US$7m investment. The United States’ biggest…
Read More25 March 2014
New Email Address for Atta
We have created a new email address for both Lina and Coranda which is office@atta.travel If you wish to contact both or either of us but not sure which one, this is a new email you are welcome to use.
Read More25 March 2014
Qatar Airways to fly to Djibouti
Qatar Airways is widening its footprint in Africa with the addition of Djibouti, come 27th of July. The airline will initially fly three times a week between Doha and Djibouti with flights operating every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Read More25 March 2014
Re-Opening Of Blantyre Chileka Airport
The maintenance works at Blantyre Airport (BLZ) runway has now been completed and the airport has been re-opened for use effective today 24th March 2014. KQ flights are reinstated to operate effective 26th March 2014.
Read More25 March 2014
Tourism Police for Uganda
Uganda has set up a specialist tourism police force as part of counter-terrorism measures, amid warnings of attacks. The force has been deployed in areas visited by tourists like the national parks, tourism sites and major hotels. Over 300 new officers for the force will graduate shortly, although the total size of the team was not confirmed for security reasons.
Read More25 March 2014
Exclusive interview with the State Minister of Culture and Tourism of Ethiopia
Last year Ethiopia welcomed about 650,000 visitors, which is a 12% increase as opposed to the previous year. Our plan is to attract around 1 million tourists per year... Read a full interview with the State Minister of Culture and Tourism of Ethiopia, H.E. Tadelech Dalacho Dando
Read More21 March 2014
Kruger Back to Normal After Floods
Operations in the Kruger National Park are back to normal following floods which caused havoc in the park for the first two weeks of March. South African National Parks (SANParks) said that all facilities which had been closed, excluding the S64 road in the north and the Wolhuter and Boesman Trails camp in the south, were now operational. All the bush camps, walking trails, picnic spots and gravel roads are deemed safe enough to be used by clients. Areas in the south of the Kruger received as …
Read More21 March 2014
Interactive tourist map of Nelson Mandela's South Africa
Just four months after the death of the Nelson Mandela, the South Africa tourist board has created a map so visitors can follow in the anti-apartheid freedom fighter's footsteps. The aim is to encourage travellers who were inspired by the former president to make the journey to South Africa and discover his beloved country. Madiba's Journey is an interactive online tool to help tourists plan their trip and is also available as a map which visitors can present at each of the 16 attracti…
Read More21 March 2014
This Week at Atta HQ
Yesterday was officially the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. We are very pleased to have a bit of sunshine in London, especially with the birds and bees fluttering around the Atta HQ garden and making us feel a bit more cheery! Nigel has been working on Atta’s message for 2014 as Atta is adopting the slogan Saving Wildlife to Save Our Industry at our events. He was invited to the Tourism Ministers meeting at ITB on anti-poaching hosted by UNWTO and it appears that t…
Read More20 March 2014
Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife Conservation created in South Sudan
The prezident of South Sudan ordered the creation of new ministries for the nation, including for tourism as well as for disasters. Six more ministries have been created by the president including a wildlife conservation and tourism portfolio, a trade, commerce and investment ministry, as well as a ministry for disaster management and humanitarian affairs. No ministerial appointments have been made as of yet. South Sudan has several national parks, the world’s largest wetland known as th…
Read More20 March 2014
Commercial News from Africa
Key commercial and political activity in Africa for private equity investors by DCE Partners, UK Private Equity advisors to Atta. South Africa's state-owned logistics company awards R300 billion train contract Transnet has awarded a R300 billion (US$28 billion) contract to supply over 1,000 trains as part of a significant expansion plan. The government entity is in the midst of a 7-year plan to allocate the capital before 2019 in order to expand the railways, ports and pipelines that…
Read More20 March 2014
Uganda to Attract Nordic Tourists
Uganda’s embassy in Denmark is to hold a tourism forum to promote Uganda as a competitive destination for investment and tourism opportunities. The forum will take place in Copenhagen in May under the theme ‘Tourism and Culture for Development’. The forum targets five countries which include Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland, and will cover components of culture to improve relations between Uganda and the Nordic region. The forum would be attended by governme…
Read More20 March 2014
South Africa’s airline orders eight new Boeing planes
South African airline Comair has ordered eight 737 MAX 8 aircraft from Boeing with a list-price of $830 million, sending its shares up sharply. The order makes Comair, which operates the kulula.com budget airline, the first African airline to order the new aircraft. It would take delivery of the first four planes in 2019 and the remaining four over the next two years. By Reuters
Read More20 March 2014
Atta Members dominate the short list for the inaugural We Are Africa Innovation Awards
Atta is proud to announce that over half of the 26 companies shortlisted at the We Are Africa Innovation Awards are Atta members, demonstrating how our members are leading the way in innovating travel to Africa. We are particularly proud to see our members filling every spot in the Conservation Project Award. The panel of experts were looking for the most visionary, inventive and forward-thinking projects breaking with convention in African Travel. Voting is underway by all those attending the…
Read More19 March 2014
BA Boosts East African Operations
British Airways will replace the Boeing 777s on the daily service between London and Nairobi with the larger Boeing 747-400s. This will add over 780 seats a week on the route. In Uganda, it will increase services between Heathrow and Entebbe from three to four flights a week from the end of March. Elsewhere in Africa, British Airways is increasing capacity to Ghana, deploying a larger four-cabin Boeing 747-400 aircraft to replace one of the Boeing 777s operating its 10 weekly services to Accra…
Read More19 March 2014
New Travel Industry Platform
A Zurich based internet platform offers travel agents and insiders more first-hand experience with the products and services that they sell. PEP.Travel, which stands for both personal experience program and personal education program, will help travel insiders take advantage of special deals so that they can visit the destinations that they want to sell. Airlines, hotels, rail services and any other stakeholders in the travel and tourism industry are encouraged to become PEP.Travel partners. B…
Read More19 March 2014
ITB World Travel Trends Report 2013/2014
This ITB World Travel Trends Report 2013/14 was again commissioned by ITB. The report covers the main trends in outbound travel demand for the first eight months of 2013 together with estimates for the full year and also contains initial forecasts for 2014. It focuses on various topics and market segments including the role of mobile technology and social media, the growing youth travel market, trends in the hospitality sector, the potential of Africa and perspectives on sustainability. Access…
Read More18 March 2014
Closure of Chileka Airport – Blantyre
Civil Aviation Authorities in Malawi have announced the immediate closure of Chileka International Airport in Blantyre while emergency repairs to the main runway are carried out. The airport was closed without notice on Sunday 16th March as the appearance of potholes on the main runway raised concerns about possible damage under the runway surface following recent heavy rains in the area. It was deemed unsafe for larger commercial aircraft to operate until repairs could be carried out.&n…
Read More18 March 2014
Ethiopia to Transform Tourism Industry
The Ethiopian Prime Minister made official the establishment of new entities touted to be instrumental in transforming Ethiopia’s tourism industry as Tourism Transformation Council and Ethiopian Tourism Organization have been launched. Prime Minister will serve as chairperson of the Tourism Transformation Council highlighting the government’s commitment to develop the sector. The Ethiopian Tourism Organization will function as the secretariat of the council and is structured t…
Read More18 March 2014
New African Routes for Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines has planned 13 new destinations in Africa in 2014. The airline’s new African destinations are: Bamako, Mali; Conakry, Guinea; Cotonou, Benin; Abuja, Nigeria; Luanda, Angola; Juba, Sudan; Asmara, Eritrea; Luxor and Aswan in Egypt; and Constantine, Tiemcen, Oran and Batna in Algeria.
Read More17 March 2014
Special SAA rates from Latin America to Indaba
Atta and our Latin American representative Andrea have received special fares from South African Airways for South American buyers to attend Indaba 2014. Sao Paulo to Durban via Johannesburg between 5th and 25th of May 2014. If you have an operator or agent you would like to invite to Indaba, please contact Lina at ops@atta.travel for more details.
Read More17 March 2014
New airline route from Nigeria to Senegal
Arik Air has expanded its African network with the introduction on 10 March of a new twice-daily service from Abuja (ABV) in Nigeria to Dakar (DKR) in Senegal, via Accra in Ghana. The 2,770-kilometre route will be operated by the airline’s CRJ 900s and faces no competition. In addition to this international route, Arik Air operates non-stop flights from Abuja to 15 other airports in Nigeria, with multiple-daily flights to Benin City, Lagos and Port Harcourt.
Read More17 March 2014
Emirates Adds Oslo to their Route Map
Travellers from Scandinavia to Eastern Africa and vice versa will be pleased with Emirates’ latest announcement that from September 2 of this year, they will add a daily service from Dubai to Oslo, the Norwegian capital city. Passenger traffic from Norway to Emirates’ East African destinations of Entebbe (daily flights), Nairobi, and Dar es Salaam (double daily flights) is expected to benefit.
Read More14 March 2014
New Airline in Tanzania
Fly-Sax has applied for regulatory approval to launch Tanzanian operations. The airline hopes to begin operating in the country in the second half of this year, targeting both tourist and budget travellers. Initially, SAX-Tanzania will fly the Mwanza, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and Mtwara routes.
Read More14 March 2014
Webinar Recording: Gabon
Have you considered selling Gabon? According to Middle Africa, it is a new destination to explore. Together with the rich natural environment, Gabon is unique for its African Animistic cult known as Bwiti. In Libreville and neighbouring towns the traveller will be introduced to this traditional form of spirituality. For nature lover it is highly recommended visiting Loango National Park and Evengué gorilla Sanctuary Island... Over 70 people from all over world registered to view this we…
Read More14 March 2014
Who Tweets Most in Africa?
Tweeters in Accra, Cairo, Johannesburg and Nairobi are the most active in their respective regions of the continent, and football is the most popular topic of discussion. These are among the findings of a survey by the London-Nairobi based communications company. Where most tweets come from over a 24-hour period. An analysis of tweets by city of origin in the last quarter of last year showed that three of Africa's top five Twitter capitals were in South Africa and two in Egypt. In order …
Read More14 March 2014
This Week at Atta HQ
Good morning.This report comes from my London desk today, and despite the success of ITB, I am very pleased to be back in the office! Having said that, we had a really excellent trip to Berlin. Our members had a great exhibition; there were plenty of meetings and the Atta stand was a hive of activity. I went to see as many members as I could get around to, and the public days were busy with a changeover of exhibitors on Saturday, as German travel agents replaced those "b to b" facing…
Read More13 March 2014
Webinar on Gabon by Middle Africa Today
Today at 14:00 GMT the Atta member Middle Africa will be hosting a webinar on Gabon which is a completely unspoiled country with great eco-tourism potential. Middle-Africa has observed an increasing interest for Gabon and its National Parks and we have realized several exploring expeditions with different clients. In 2014 only 4 of its 13 parks can be visited, even so it is worthwhile. Click here to register and receive your login instructions We record our webinars, so please register to re…
Read More12 March 2014
Tourism Sector Grows in Tanzania Overtaking Gold
Tourism has emerged the top foreign exchange earner in Tanzania last year and basing on its great potential, the sector has much to be confident about in 2014. The Central Bank of Tanzania said in its latest monthly economic reviews that tourism had maintained growth to become the leading earner of hard currency overtaking gold whose performance was undermined by low output and a decline in global price. The value of gold exports declined following a fall in both export volume and unit price. …
Read More12 March 2014
Commercial News from Africa
Key commercial and political activity in Africa for private equity investors by DCE Partners, UK Private Equity advisors to Atta. Outside South Africa, private equity is still a relatively new subset of the financial mechanisms available for promoting and facilitating investment across Africa, and as such the challenges still include offering enough added value to encourage family firms to open up to external financing, and finding local talent with the skills to see a project from start…
Read More12 March 2014
Joined forces to save the African wildlife
UNWTO, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and African Tourism Ministers have committed to advancing the tourism sector’s support in the global fight against the surge in poaching that is threatening one of Africa’s main tourism resources - its unique wildlife and biodiversity at ITB Berlin, Germany, 6 March 2014. In a response to the alarming growth in wildlife crime on the African continent, UNWTO, the Ministers of Tourism of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ga…
Read More11 March 2014
Webinar: Gabon, the African Costa Rica
Travellers looking for a stable African country, with a serious environmental policy and good lodging infrastructure have a new destination to explore - Gabon. Atta member Middle Africa will be hosting a webinar on Gabon which is a completely unspoiled country with great eco-tourism potential. 13th March 2014 at 14:00 GMT Almost 80% of the country is still covered by primary forest and tropical savannahs. It’s one of the last paradises on earth and the Gabonese government seems to take …
Read More11 March 2014
New Patron at Just A Drop
'Pointless' Host - Alexander Armstrong - To Become New Patron Of International Water Aid Charity, Just A Drop Just a Drop, the charity founded by Atta Director Fiona Jeffery, is delighted to announce actor, comedian and TV presenter, Alexander Armstrong is joining the charity as a patron. Following an interview with Just a Drop’s Hon. President, Col. John Blashford Snell in February, Alexander said he was thrilled to be invited to be a patron for the charity, which provides…
Read More11 March 2014
Google Maps Gallery - new tool for tourism industry
Google have expanded their popular mapping program with the new Google Maps Gallery, a selection of specific static or interactive images – rather than the usual open-world global program – that shows areas and information with a deliberate focus, such as the map of 25,000 worldwide web-cams that offers screen-shots. The applications for this tool are limitless, as any combination of information and map can be uploaded by a third party, but this simplicity and versatility could be …
Read More11 March 2014
The Top 5 Differences Between Chinese and Western Travellers
When Western tourists travel to China, they often do so because of the country's ancient history and the many cultural experiences that will await them but it seems that the differences between the East and West extend even further into our attitudes to tourism and the expectations of a holiday. Chinese travellers are heading abroad more readily than before and, while doing so, are exhibiting some noticeable trends and dispelling a few misconceptions. The following five examples show inter…
Read More10 March 2014
Teaching initiative Launched in South Africa
An initiative to train and develop teachers in travel and tourism technology in South Africa is being launched by a technology company which will offer two-day ‘train the teacher’ courses in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Twenty five high school tourism teachers will be given the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of the technologies applied in the travel and tourism sector over two consecutive sessions. This online training programme aims to be a thought-provoki…
Read More10 March 2014
Kenya to be showcased through Indian films
Kenya plans to lure one lakh (100,000) Indian tourists in the next two years with the focus on developing regional markets in cities like Kolkata, Jaipur, Lucknow and Chandigarh. The country is tapping into West Bengal's film industry - Tollywood - to increase its brand visibility and thereby generate awareness about hitherto unknown tourism destinations of the country. In 2012, 62,000 passengers visited Kenya from India and their short-term target is to reach the one lakh milestone in the…
Read More10 March 2014
Zimbabwe National Parks fees 2014
The Zimbabwe’s Parks and Wildlife Authority has issued its charges for wildlife-based tourism operations in 2014. We summarise those relevant to The Zambezi Valley (including Victoria Falls and Lake Kariba) as follows: QUERIES Any queries or clarification regarding ZimParks fees can be addressed to tchipato@zimparks.co.zw or cmushunje@zimparks.co.zw BOOKINGS: Reservations for Parks facilities are opened one year in advance to all clients, including Zimbabwe residents. Clients are treated…
Read More07 March 2014
This Week at Atta HQ
I am writing this week’s update for you from ITB Berlin! We have been enjoying some light drizzle, lots of chat with friends old and new, and a tiny, weeny bit of German beer! So this week was "hello" Berlin and the largest trade show of the lot, ITB. Atta fielded 10 exhibitors, a full house; go here for the list. Things are going well with a busy schedule and vibrant stand. On Wednesday evening we hosted our first ever " Berli…
Read More06 March 2014
World Wildlife Day
Are members aware that March 3rd 2014 was proclaimed the very first annual World Wildlife Day by the Sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly? It is to celebrate and raise awareness of the world's wild fauna and flora. In its resolution, the General Assembly reaffirmed the intrinsic value of wildlife and its various contributions, including ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic, to sustainable developme…
Read More05 March 2014
Commercial News from Africa
Key commercial and political activity in Africa for private equity investors by DCE Partners, UK Private Equity advisors to Atta. Africa is expected to get its first continent-wide, dedicated, TV news channel by next year.The multilingual rolling news channel - Africanews - will be head-quartered in Brazzaville, the Congolese capital, with satellite offices scatted across Africa. At launch, it will broadcast in English and French, with Arabic, Portuguese and Swahili to follow. Underpinning the…
Read More05 March 2014
Qatar increases Southern African presence
Qatar Airways is ramping up frequencies on the Johannesburg route from May 1. The airline will add three flights a week to its currently daily schedule to South Africa’s commercial capital. The 10 weekly flights would improve connections to destinations across its network, in particular to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Manila. Qatar will put a Dreamliner B787 onto the Johannesburg, Cape Town and Maputo, Mozambique routes.
Read More04 March 2014
Webinar: Gabon, the African Costa Rica
Travellers looking for a stable African country, with a serious environmental policy and good lodging infrastructure have a new destination to explore - Gabon. Atta member Middle Africa will be hosting a webinar on Gabon which is a completely unspoiled country with great eco-tourism potential. 13th March 2014 at 14:00 GMT Save to my calendar Almost 80% of the country is still covered by primary forest and tropical savannahs. It’s one of the last paradises on earth and the Gabonese gover…
Read More04 March 2014
Kenya in the Korean Market
The Embassy of Kenya hosted a tourism promotion event in collaboration with the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) in Seoul and Busan in South Korea. The event was designed to attract more Korean tourists to the African nation by building networks between Kenyan tour agencies and Korean tour organizations. Seven companies from Kenya’s tourism industry joined the tour promotion event in Korea. The government of Kenya has identified Korea as one of the key markets in Asia that will contribute towar…
Read More04 March 2014
Zanzibar Tourism: Security Reform
With tourism numbers in Zanzibar growing year-on-year since the 1990’s, the Zanzibar Association of Tourism Investors (ZATI), has been working with Government, tourism stakeholders and community partners to improve the economic and investment climate of the islands, and develop a robust tourism product for all. Zanzibar’s unique mix of a rich historical and cultural identity, framed by picture-postcard tropical beaches, has been responsible for the destination rising above its main…
Read More03 March 2014
Atta at ITB Berlin
The Atta team, Nigel and Coranda, will be off to Berlin for ITB. Our first networking event in Germany is set to be a success with over 70 people registered for the Wednesday night, sponsored by Intimate Places. The Guest list is available here. Atta members joining us on stand 120 in Hall 20 this year are: Acacia Adventure Holidays Africa Travel Company Essque Hotels Great Plains Conservation Jenman Safaris Moivaro Lodges Premier Safaris Rani Resorts Selous Safari The Bushtops Camp Collection
Read More03 March 2014
Low-fare airlines open up Africa to the world
It’s hardly a secret that the key to the success of any tourism destination around the world is airline accessibility. Africa seems to have woken up to this concept, and the continent has seen numerous airlines aggressively expanding to capture a share of the profitable tourism market. Ethiopian Airlines has recently begun extending its market reach and is offering flights to Asia and South America, with regular flights to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo beginning in July. The Ethiopian fla…
Read More03 March 2014
Counties of Kenya Team Up for Tourism
Six counties in the coast of Kenya will work together to market the region and boost tourist numbers in a joint venture. Discussions among Mombasa, Kilifi, Lamu, Kwale, Taita Taveta and Tana River counties are underway at the executive level ahead of the participation at ITB Berlin.
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