Kate

It’s competitive, this tourism business, and as times get tougher and belts get tighter, those countries playing in this space and looking to bet their futures on this segment of the economy are going to have to evolve, adapt and ‘think outside the box’, if they are to get their hands on a sizeable chunk of what is a...

While Cape Town is grappling with the worst water shortage crisis in over a century, tourism and travel stakeholders are conscious of the bitter-sweet prospect of the peak travel period that looms. Now, more than ever, they’re thinking about ways in which to encourage travellers visiting the Mother City to be water wise and are adopting measures to keep water...

Recent news that Hilton is to put $50 million of their own capital into a fund to help owners convert their hotels to one of Hilton’s brands was something of a surprise. A hotel chain investing in hotels? That’s a bit far-fetched, isn’t it?! All of those reports about how Hilton or Marriott (in fact virtually any chain you can...

Airlink and Safair have announced that the two independent aviation groups will apply to South Africa’s Competition Commission for approval to unite under the common umbrella of the Airlink group of companies. The proposed move would see the Airlink and low-cost FlySafair airlines and Safair’s other businesses, including humanitarian aid flights, continuing to operate separately under their unique brands. The airlines would retain their respective products,...

Italian carrier Alitalia has announced it will commence a new service between Rome and Johannesburg from the 8th of April 2018. The flight will be operated four days a week with a 250-seat Airbus A330 with three travel classes: business class, premium economy and economy. The flight from Rome to Johannesburg will depart at 22h10 and arrive at 08h20 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The return flight will depart Johannesburg at 21h00 and...

South Africa and Angola have announced they will begin a visa-free reciprocal travel arrangement that will allow for visa-free travel for up to 90 days a year, provided each visit is 30 days or less. From 1 December, South African and Angolan citizens will be able to visit each other’s countries without having to obtain a visa. The news comes off the back...

The Cutty Sark Hotel, situated in the South African coastal resort town of Scottburgh, has been acquired by Premier Hotels & Resorts. The group now consists of 18 properties – 14 hotels and four resorts. Among the properties in the portfolio are Premier Resort The Moorings (Knysna), Premier Resort Mpongo Private Game Reserve (East London), and Premier Resort Sani Pass (Drakensberg). The Cutty Sark is set to undergo...

Passengers departing on domestic flights from O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg from Wednesday 15 November are advised that public address microphones at the Domestic Departures Terminal and gates will be switched off. Standard operating procedures for most domestic flights require that passengers start boarding at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time. From Wednesday, no passenger boarding calls...

The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has entered its 30th African country with the debut of its upper upscale brand, Radisson Blu, in Cameroon. The Radisson Blu Hotel & Apartments Douala, Cameroon is scheduled to open in 2019 and brings the group’s African portfolio to 83 hotels and over 17,500 rooms in operation and under development. The hotel is located in the...

Aha Hotels & Lodges has announced the launch of its own GDS chain code titled ‘GO’. Travel agents across the world can now use the straightforward chain code ‘GO’ to make their bookings across all aha establishments. The ‘GO’ chain code is applicable immediately on Amadeus and Galileo, and Sabre will follow shortly, whilst remaining on the existing RH code in...

Avis Rent a Car has announced its recent integration into the voice-activated Amazon Alexa platform, allowing customers to book and manage reservations using Amazon Echo devices. The offering was demonstrated at the recent Global Business Travel Association's Convention in Boston, USA. As it rolls out worldwide, Avis customers with Amazon Echo and Echo Dot devices will be able to make car...

Ethiopian Airlines has announced that it has finalized preparations to start five weekly flights to Buenos Aires, Argentina, as of March 8, 2018. Argentina is one of the largest economies in Latin America and Buenos Aires is the second largest city in South America with a population of over 13 million. Buenos Aires will become Ethiopian Airlines’ sixth destination in the...