SAA up in the air
JOHANNESBURG, 7 May 2013: South African Airlines is one of the continent’s leading carriers, but financial battles and seemingly endless changes of leadership have put its future at risk.
The loss-making state-owned airline has been stumbling from one crisis to another in recent years, with calls for privatisation routinely rejected by its sole shareholder, the South African government.
On Monday, the company announced it would borrow about US$170 million under a state guarantee to cover operating costs.
SAA names new CEO
JOHANNESBURG, 22 April 2013: South Africa’s government on Friday named a new chief executive for troubled state airline South African Airways, following a rash of resignations and dismissals in recent months.
“Monwabisi Kalawe has been confirmed as the cabinet- approved chief executive officer of SAA,” Public Enterprises Ministry spokesman Mayihlome Tswete told AFP.
Kalawe is currently managing director Compass Group SA, a South African-based food service giant with operations in over 50 countries and CEO of the Thebe Tourism Group.
Tourists sneak into game park
HARARE, 14 February 2013: Zimbabwe police said Wednesday they had briefly detained seven “extremely rude” French tourists in the resort town of Victoria Falls.
The group — aged between 55 and 66 — were detained for sneaking into a game park and refusing to stump up the US$15 entry fee.
“They were extremely rude and they even tried to drive off from the police station, but we managed to arrest them,” Jairos Chiona, police chief superintendent in Victoria Falls, told AFP.
Fire damages SA resort
JOHANNESBURG, 12 November 2012: A huge blaze fanned by strong winds destroyed more than 100 homes Sunday in the South African resort of Francis Bay, town officials said.
“The fire fighters report that 100 houses have been burnt down and they are still battling with the flames because of the strong westerly wind,” Laura-Leigh Randall told the Sapa news agency.
Residents were forced to evacuate and no victims were reported.
UNWTO supports national park meet
October 4, 2012 by TTRweekly Staff
Filed under Africa, Government, News
MADRID, 4 October 2012: The First Pan-African conference on sustainable tourism management in national parks and protected areas will be held 15 to 18 October in Arusha, Tanzania.
The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, invited the UN World Tourism Organisation to organise the even. I will seek to set out the challenges and opportunities that face national parks as they attempt to create a business model that will fit tourism without diluting their commitment to conservation.
Nature-based tourism (eco-tourism) is a growing global activity, based on natural assets and biodiversity (wildlife and scenery).
Dreamliner joins Ethiopia
ADDIS ABABA, 20 August 2012: Ethiopian Airlines received Africa’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner last Friday, making Ethiopia the only country aside from Japan to operate the aircraft.
“As a continent this shows how much we are making progress as Africans… competing on the global stage and changing our image,” Ethiopian Airline CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told reporters at Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport.
The plane arrived from Dulles airport in Washington, DC, home to the largest Ethiopian diaspora population globally.
Qatar adds Africa link
MAPUTO, 22 June 2012: Qatar Airways said Thursday it will introduce flights to Mozambique, one of southern Africa’s fastest-growing investment destinations.
The three-weekly flights from Doha to the capital Maputo, with a stop in Johannesburg, should start on October 31.
“Whether in Africa, Europe, Asia, Middle East or Americas, we have identified great opportunities where other carriers dare not venture into,” said the airline’s chief executive Akbar al-Baker.
Egypt will rent celebrities
March 4, 2011 by TTRweekly Staff
Filed under Africa, News
CAIRO, 4 March 2011 – Egypt’s newly-appointed minister of tourism, Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour announced, Thursday, Egypt wouldl not cut rates to save tourism but will rent a celebrity to show the destination is safe.
He said he was sending out invitations to world famous actors and media figures to organise shows and entertainment at Cairo’s Tahrir Square. They include Oprah Winfrey, the celebrated American media host who was recently hired by Australia to host her final TV show in that country.
Not so little Bethlehem after all
BETHLEHEM, 8 February 2011 – The Palestinians on Monday made a formal bid to have the no-longer-so-little town of Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus Christ, added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites.
“We are very proud to announce that we have submitted the nomination file of Bethlehem: birthplace of Jesus — Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route … to the World Heritage Centre,” tourism minister Khulud Daibes told reporters.
The addition of the West Bank town to the UNESCO list should have been almost automatic and accomplished a long time ago, but like most issues in the Holy Land, it has become entangled in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
