Kenya aviation news update – SafariLink and Air Kenya to ‘share’ Ukunda route

LOW SEASON ENDS AS SAFARILINK AND AIR KENYA COOPERATE AGAIN

The more recent ‘battle for Ukunda’, when Air Kenya literally ambushed SafariLink with the introduction of a second flight, ditching the erstwhile cooperation of the two domestic ‘safari airlines’ on the route, is apparently a thing of the past now. Right in time for the end of the low tourist season have the two airlines, both of which operate out of Nairobi’s Wilson Airport, announced that they will again share the route equally with SafariLink operating the afternoon service while Air Kenya takes the morning departures.

Both airlines have pointed out that arrivals and departures link in with other of their scheduled flights which can connect their passengers, via a stop at Wilson Airport, from either the coast to the parks or from the parks straight to the fabulous Indian Ocean beaches South of Mombasa.

SafariLink has also re-started, after the low season break, their flight extension from the Masai Mara to an airfield right at the Tanzanian border in Migori, linked to their late morning flight from Nairobi to Kenya’s most popular game reserve. Travelers using this service can cross into Tanzania at the Isebenia border post, take a short transfer to the nearby Tarime airstrip and can from there fly to their Serengeti safari camps or beyond. However, while applauding this ‘shortening’ of getting into Tanzania by several hours and with much less hassle than flying via Wilson into Kilimanjaro, the fact remains that this is a ludicrous situation at best. While our politicians are falling all over each other talking air about the integration of the East African Community – only last week were pompous celebrations held to celebrate the 10^th anniversary, travelers continue to be inconvenienced, at the expense of spreading revenue into the entire region for that matter, by the need for added Visas and inexplicable non tariff barrier restrictions on border crossing points and air access – for airlines from within the EAC no less – under the  pretext of  vague and obscure reasons none of which are true.

As the Kampala traders recently said during a meeting about the benefits of the EAC members – DUMP YOUR NON TARIFF BARRIERS AND DUMP YOUR PROTECTION!

High time someone listens and makes the policy and regulatory frameworks conducive to bringing hundreds of thousands of more tourists into East Africa.

 

 

Uganda aviation breaking news – U7 resumes Mombasa / Zanzibar flights

AIR UGANDA RESUMES MOMBASA – ZANZIBAR FLIGHT

Only days after Fly 540 had hit the market with an all inclusive fare between Entebbe and Mombasa, return of course, of US Dollars 350 is Uganda’s passenger airline ‘Air Uganda’ also resuming flights to Mombasa again, after a break during the ‘low season’ which follows the Easter weekend and traditionally lasts until the end of June.

The flight, which will reach Mombasa from Entebbe nonstop, then proceeds on to Zanzibar before returning to Entebbe again. Fares between Entebbe and Mombasa have been set at 295 US Dollars PLUS taxes while Entebbe to Zanzibar will cost US Dollars 300 PLUS taxes and flights will take place twice a week. Check www.air-uganda.com for details on schedules, destinations and special promotions – bookings on the website are possible now.

And a parting comment from this correspondent, exploring East Africa is now easier than ever before, especially when going by air with one of the many airlines now flying across our skies and connecting all the important places in Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya and of course Uganda so ‘Go Fly’.

 

 

South Sudan news update – A week to go and counting as Independence finally approaches

A WEEK TO INDEPENDENCE AND COUNTING

As the 09^th of July inches closer and closer the entire South, inspite of a series of problems caused by its erstwhile slave masters and warlords in Khartoum, is preparing for the big day of Independence, with the eyes of the entire continent and in fact the world focused on the event.

Ahead of the celebrations has Vice President Riek Machar Teny who just returned home from an extensive tour of the United States, announced a half trillion US Dollars investment rush for the new Republic of South Sudan to develop infrastructure like highways, roads, rail, bridges, airports and aerodromes, hydro electric power plants and dams, but also affordable housing, hospitals, educational facilities and administrative service centres across the vast territory besides heavily investing also in oil development like a pipeline going South to export the commodity through ‘friendly’ neighbouring countries and reducing dependence on the currently single pipeline for oil exports via Port Sudan at the Red Sea.

While big money has been pledged to the new country already from the World Bank and the world’s major economic blocks and powers, much of the projected investments will come from private sector sources, since the new republic is seen as virgin territory for investments and for doing business with. In this regard it was also learned that the United Arab Emirates will be hosting a major investment conference for the South Sudan later this year where the global business community will have the opportunity to learn firsthand what potential there is in the new country, from oil over agriculture to agro processing, forestry, manufacturing and tourism, to name but a few key sectors already identified as key to the South’s future development.

In regard of tourism has the South Sudan worked for several years now with the US based Wildlife Conservation Society to identify game migration patterns, establish game numbers through aerial and ground surveys and devise methods to protect in particular the great migration of the white eared kobs emerging from and then returning to the Boma National Park along the borders with Ethiopia, said to be the world’s second largest migration of animals after the Serengeti to Masai Mara migration of the wildebeest.

The government of the South Sudan is also said to be setting aside more resources in the future management of the presently 6 national parks and over a dozen game reserves already in place, while considering to declare yet more areas as both parks and reserves in order to stimulate wildlife based tourism after independence.

In a related development it was also learned from regular sources in Juba that Google Earth will undertake a major mapping exercise across the newly emerging country, working hand in hand with local residents and with the support of such illustrious names as UNOSAT, RCMRD and the World Bank, to provide detailed maps of the new country for visitors, both real and via the internet.

Watch this space as the countdown now goes into the final week before Independence and the final closure of a sad chapter in Sudan’s history where the African people of the united Sudan were at the receiving end of exploitation, domination and well near slavery conditions by their Khartoum based ‘masters’ – it is time now to shake off the yoke. 

 

 

Kenya tourism news update – KTB to turn Kenyan athletes into tourism ambassadors

KENYA TOURIST BOARD TO USE HIGH PROFILE ATHLETES AS AMBASSADORS

It was learned yesterday evening from regular sources in Nairobi that the Kenya Tourist Board was finalizing plans to turn their globally known and acclaimed distance runners into tourism ambassadors, when they travel abroad to participate in competitions.

With the full athletics season now going underway in Europe and America many of these high profile individuals celebrate their victories by carrying the Kenyan flag high, and the Kenya Tourist Board is finally turning this into a competitive advantage when marketing the country abroad. Brand marketing, especially when a major rebranding is taking place as has for instance happened over the past year and a half in the Seychelles, can have a huge positive impact on promoting a tourism destination in a hotly contested market as East Africa is and when supported by, as is the case here, globally known World and Olympic champions the impact on the often hundreds of millions of viewers of such events on television is bound to develop an interest to come and visit the home countries of such sports women and men.

The Kenya Tourist Board is said to be in discussions with the Kenyan athletics federation and also the Kenyan Olympic Committee to bring the teams and individual athletes on their side to help promote their country abroad, and it is expected that in particular ahead and during the London 2012 Olympic Games, the next World Athletics Championship and key international events in Europe this  summer the Kenyan flag will fly not only high but also for the purpose of promoting ‘Brand Kenya’ abroad.

Well done indeed and kudos to the Kenya Tourist Board for this initiative.