Travel news overview

• Flights
• 03/02/2021 06:50

Routes blocked and monopolised by SAA

Protectionist behaviour is preventing South Africa’s privately owned airlines from starting up scheduled flights on routes previously operated by the state-owned airline.

Borders have reopened in most Southern African countries and businesses are back to work. Airlines have been given the go-ahead to resume scheduled flights … read more

• Flights
• 03/02/2021 06:47

Richards Bay Airport cannot afford to open

Airlink has postponed the resumption of its service between Johannesburg and Richards Bay until May 2.  Services on the route were suspended in April 2020.

The delay has been necessitated by Richards Bay Airport’s inability to provide the necessary emergency services due to slowed economic activity in the town, which has… read more

• Conservation & Wildlife
• 03/02/2021 06:45

Migrating Uganda elephant herds puzzle conservationists

Hundreds of elephants moving from Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park to the Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have caused excitement in Virunga and nonchalant surprise in Uganda.

At the last count, Uganda had an estimated herd of about 6000 elephants, half of them in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Now… read more

• Accomodation
• 03/02/2021 06:08

Sun International joins Global Hotel Alliance

Sun International, Africa's leading gaming and hospitality group, with properties in South Africa, Nigeria and Eswatini, will participate in the DISCOVERY loyalty programme, gaining access to a global customer base of 17 million members when they join the alliance later this year

Global Hotel Alliance ("GHA"), the worl… read more

• Miscellaneous
• 03/02/2021 06:07

African Development Bank’s AAA Rating Outlook Stable – S&P Global       

Ratings agency S& P Global has affirmed its “AAA/A-1+” foreign currency issuer credit rating of the African Development Bank with a stable outlook. The ratings agency said its outlook reflected the expectation that the African Development Bank (AfDB) would, over the next two years, “prudently manage its capital while mai… read more

• Flights
• 03/02/2021 06:06

Air France to continue operating between Paris and Johannesburg

Air France has confirmed that all flights between Paris and Johannesburg will be maintained.

The airline has noted the new regulations issued by the French government on January 29 and can confirm that all flights will continue to operate to South Africa as scheduled.

In order to comply with these new… read more

• Flights
• 03/02/2021 05:59

TAP Air Portugal operates only 7% of its flights in february

TAP Air Portugal schedules only 7% of its flights in February.

TAP Air Portugal has announced that it will suspend 93% of its operations in February, due to travel restrictions imposed by Portugal, a country which climbs to the top of the world ranking of infection and death rates linked to Covid- 19.

• Conservation & Wildlife
• 03/02/2021 05:11

Kruger National Park: SANParks has released an update on the current weather conditions

South African National Parks (SANParks) has released an update on the weather conditions currently experienced in the Krug… read more

• Flights
• 03/02/2021 05:11

Sky Mali lands in Timbuktu, now considering ATR planes

In September 2020, Sky Mali, owned by the Emirati investment holding company Al Sayegh Group (ASG), started its commercial operations with the ambition of connecting the 10 administrative regions of Mali.

While it now serves 3 domestic routes, the company is planning a review of its future fleet. Sky Mali launched it… read more

• Flights
• 02/02/2021 18:57

Tourism Equity Fund - a Blunt, Racially Exclusive and One-Dimensional BEE Ownership Instrument

The R1.2-billion Tourism Equity Fund launched by government in January 2021 is, in principle, to be welcomed – but it is unlikely to meet the objective of broad-based transformation and, in its current form, will retard prospects for an inclusive recovery.

Tourism is South Africa’s silver bullet.

Much more than its 8.6% (pr… read more