Zambia commissioned the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola, the country’s second largest city and the commercial hub of its central copper producing region.

The airport’s $400m construction cost was financed with a government-to-government loan from China’s Export-Import Bank, and it was designed and built by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic).

The opening ceremony was performed by Edgar Lungu, president of Zambia.

“Today marks a key milestone in the transportation sector and the aviation subsector, in particular, as we continue on our journey to repositioning Zambia as a major aviation hub in Africa,” he said, reports Xinhua.

He added: “Travellers to Ndola can now experience the world-class look and feel here at the new Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport. This airport is in close proximity with the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Katanga Province and will improve business between the two countries.”

The facility, one of four international airports in the country, will take over from the existing Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe airport, named after a former vice president of Zambia.

Lei Yinqui, a senior consultant at Avic, said the 3.5km runway and the terminal would be able to deal with a million passengers a year. [https://www.mwebantu.com/president-edgar-lungu-commissions-new-simon-mwansa-kapwepwe-airport/]

He added that 800 local jobs were created during the work, and that more than 20 local subcontractors earned $40m in fees.
As well as the airport, the development has a business complex, a 50-room hotel, a fire and rescue station, cargo terminal and maintenance hangar.

Source: GCR

Travellers from Kenya remain banned from the United Kingdom in the latest update that took effect Thursday evening in a fresh blow for tourism which is currently in its main season.

The UK updated countries on England’s “Red List” amid concerns about the spread of new Covid-19 variants that have now been reported in Kenya.

Britain retained Kenya, whose cases of Covid-19 have been surging by double digits, on the travel ban first placed in April.

The decision deals a fresh blow to the Kenyan hospitality industry, whose tourism season traditionally peaks from July to September, coinciding with the country’s dry season and the world-renowned migration of wildebeest and zebra through Maasai Mara Game Reserve.

Kenya is a popular tourism destination for Britons. The UK has been a top tourism source market for Kenya. In 2019, it emerged fourth in ranking, with tourist visits of 181,484.

The UK has segmented countries into green, amber and red lists, each carrying different degrees of restrictions for arrivals back to Britain.

A British citizen travelling from a Green and Amber List is not required to undergo a mandatory quarantine.

Travellers arriving in the UK from countries on the Red List are denied entry, while returning Britons must submit to 10 days of mandatory quarantine in hotels.

Kenya had earlier protested the ban having relaxed punitive requirements imposed on British citizens, which required them to undergo 14 days of isolation before entering the country.

Kenya had 232,869 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 4,635 deaths, with a positivity rate of 12.9 percent as of Thursday.

British High Commissioner to Kenya Jane Mariott Howe recently urged Nairobi to ensure speedy vaccinations countrywide, a move that would se the lifting of the ban.

She noted that the British government reviews the list often and linked the removal of India, which had high infections, to increased immunisation.

“We are reviewing the list too often, and we hope that Kenya comes out of the list soon. The more vaccines we have, the more genome sequencing we have, the easier it is to get off the red list, and that is why India had an advantage,” she noted.

Kenya on Monday received 880,460 doses of Moderna vaccines in yet another boost to the ongoing vaccination drive that targets to vaccinate 10 million people by the end of the year.

The Moderna doses, donated by the US government, is the second vaccine in Kenya’s programme after AstraZeneca, with at least 1,615,687 people having received at least one jab and 780,377 fully vaccinated by August 22. 

Source: Business Daily

South African Airways has confirmed it will resume commercial passenger operations on September 23 on one domestic and five regional routes following a 21-month hiatus during which it was plucked from bankruptcy protection through a controversial taxpayer-funded ZAR10.5 billion rand (USD683 million) bailout.

Restarting as a significantly smaller airline with a fleet that has shrunk from 44 to just six aircraft and a workforce that has been reduced from 4,000 to 802 employees and five interim executives, SAA will start-off with one domestic return route between Johannesburg O.R. Tambo and Cape Town, as well as regionally from Johannesburg to Accra (Ghana), Kinshasa N’Djili (DRC), Harare Int’l (Zimbabwe), Lusaka (Zambia), and Maputo (Mozambique), interim Chief Executive Officer Thomas Kgokolo said in a statement. SAA will add more destinations to the route network as it ramps up operations in response to market conditions.

Tickets will go on sale on August 26, while Voyager loyalty programme bookings and travel credit voucher redemption will be available from September 6, 2021.

“After months of diligent work, we are delighted that SAA is resuming service, and we look forward to welcoming onboard our loyal passengers and flying the South African flag. We continue to be a safe carrier and adhering to COVID-19 protocols,” Kgokolo said. “There is a profound feeling of enthusiasm within Team SAA as we prepare for takeoff, with one common purpose – to rebuild and sustain a profitable airline that once again takes a leadership role among local, continental, and international airlines.”

SAA’s Board chairperson, John Lamola, believed the airline was restarting with a “formidable business case”, saying the Board, management, and the shareholder representative Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) had been hard at work since the airline exited administration on April 30, 2021.

However, no mention was made of SAA’s announced preferred strategic equity partner, the Takatso Consortium, which is still doing its due diligence of the airline before finalising a partnership that will see the government give up a 51% shareholding of SAA. Takatso, comprising ACMI specialist Global Aviation Operations (GE, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) and asset fund manager Harith General Partners, is to sink another ZAR3 billion (USD195 million) in operational capital into the airline for the first 12 to 36 months of operations, while the state aid will be used to take care of SAA’s historical debt.

In a letter to South Africa’s Politics Web, the consortium underlined that only once its due diligence process has been “finalised and if successful, will the deal be finalised”. It said future capital and planning of SAA would be determined after completing the due diligence exercise.

SAA is returning to a domestic market space that has changed fundamentally since it went into business rescue. Its own state-owned low-cost subsidiary Mango Airlines (JE, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) is in voluntary bankruptcy protection. Its sister airline and regional feeder, South African Express (EXY, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo), is in provisional liquidation. Its former franchise agreement with regional airline Airlink (South Africa) (4Z, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) has been cancelled after SAA withheld about ZAR700 million (USD45.5 million) in unflown revenue from the former secondary route feeder. With no further government pay-outs likely, SAA will be pitched against a clutch of carriers all plying the same trunk routes, including Comair (South Africa)’s Kulula Air brand and British Airways franchise, no-frills carrier FlySafair (FA, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo), newcomer Lift Airlines (GE, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) (wholly-owned by Global Aviation), as well as regional specialists Airlink and CemAir (5Z, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo).

Source: Ch-aviation

Kenya is looking to attract international luxury travelers as part of a strategy to revive the tourism sector and as part of expanding the tourism market basket.

The absence of international tourists coupled with travel restrictions occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in reduced travel globally and travelers with specific preferences which are value for their money.

The government has now set eyes on luxury travelers as it seeks to continue the recovery path of the tourism sector through targeted marketing strategies in several markets.

Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said that the destination is proving to be attractive to luxury travellers especially with Kenya having unique travel opportunities and new developments in the country.

“Over the years we have been working towards profiling Kenya to niche clients who have specific preferences and needs and that’s the reason we have been diversifying our products to suit each market segment. 

“It is important to mention that Kenya was selected for this trip because we have a unique and iconic tourism product, the wildebeest Migration at the Maasai Mara and luxurious accommodation facilities that suit the needs of the high-net-worth traveler who wants value for their money,” Balala said.

Balala was speaking from the Maasai Mara as he welcomed tourists aboard the inaugural Roar Africa and Emirates Executive Private Jet Safari, (a World-Class Conservation Safari).

He added that he was glad to see travelers re-ignite their love for Kenya, resonating with the current marketing strategy calling on travelers to rediscover Kenya’s magic – Kenya has something for each and every traveler.

“The visit by this high-level delegation is testament to the fact that Kenya is a consideration to the niche luxury traveler who is attracted to specific experiences and offerings. Our goal is to build on this as we work towards expanding into different market segments in the short and long term,” he added.

The trip dubbed the ‘Greatest Safari on Earth’ By Roar Africa and Emirates Airlines, is an extraordinary ‘bucket list’ luxury travel experience designed to preserve and support Africa’s wildlife, wildlife spaces, and communities.

All proceeds from the trip will go towards supporting wildlife conservation efforts in the destinations visited.

The trip delivered 15 guests from the United States (US) in unbridled luxury to four iconic African destinations that offer the ultimate adventure and encounters with environmental educators and conservation change makers.

The 12-day Sh12.5 million ($125,000)-per-person getaway will see the guests tour iconic destinations in Africa including Kenya which was selected thanks to the unique and authentic natural safari experience capped by the annual Great Wildebeest Migration and luxurious accommodation and amenities that suit their needs.

Kenya has in the past prioritized product diversification aimed at positioning the country as the go-to destination for all cadres of travelers.

Through the Magical Kenya Signature Experiences program, the destination has enhanced its diversity in offerings, a move the CS believes is key to the country’s tourism sector.

“The Signature Experiences are lifetime experiences that range from adventure, conservation, heritage, cultural immersion, wellness to alternative safaris, all of which visitors can get to see, visit and experience while in the destination.

“This program will continue to play a big role in attracting international travelers who are keen on authentic experiences. This is in addition to continued publicity and marketing of other tourism products Kenya is well known for like the beaches.” Balala said.

In 2020 Kenya was ranked as Africa’s leading tourist destination by the World Travel Awards (WTA), cementing her position as a preferred travel destination to international travelers.

Luxury travel is growing to become a key segment in the industry with several key developments currently ongoing, expected to boost the sector.

The newly constructed Lamu Port is touted to be a game changer expected to boost cruise tourism as well as improvement of airports and airstrips.

The visit by the travelers comes at a high season for the tourism sector with the annual Twin Migration (Wildebeest Migration and the Humpback Whale Migration) currently ongoing.

Source: The Star

Tourists now prefer a shorter period between booking and traveling to avoid any uncertainties arising from Covid-19 restrictions.

According to a report by the by the Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) and Amadeus search agency they want actual travel dates that are not far apart from the booking date.

This has seen booking times down to 16 days in 2021 from 26 days in 2019.

“The constantly changing travel restrictions has affected early bookings and most Kenyans prefer to book close to their departure date,” said KATA.

According to the report, 72 per cent of searches in June had a departure date in either June or July as tourists reduced booking time.

Sixty three percent of international travellers searching for Kenya as a destination in June planned to travel within the next three months which KATA noted was a shorter time compared to the past.

The report however showed a positive trajectory for travel during the course of 2021, with a gradual increase in searches and destination travel demand.

The average daily search activity of Kenyans in June was eight per cent higher than the year-to-date average and in July it was 35 per cent above the 2021 average.

The most searched destination by Kenyans in June 2021 was USA at 30 per cent, Tanzania and UAE 5 per cent, and UK 4 per cent while the most booked destinations were UAE with 15 per cent of total bookings, USA 12 per cent, Tanzania 7 per cent and Ethiopia 6 per cent.

KATA notes that UAE was in the lead due to fewer Covid-19 travel restrictions. 

In East Africa, Tanzania was the leading destination for Kenyans especially for leisure activities. The demand was driven by relaxed Covid-19 border restrictions for Kenyans visiting the country.

Seat capacity among international airlines operating from Kenya was noted to be recovering gradually compared to 2019 volumes, although it is slightly behind the global average.

The capacity to international destinations is currently at 51 per cent whereas globally it is at 63 per cent.

For domestic destinations, the capacity is slightly higher at 86 per cent while globally it is at 91 per cent.

The average daily search activity of international travellers interested in Kenya in June was 10 per cent higher than the year-to-date average, according to KATA.

In July it was already 31 per cent above the 2021 average.

Most searches for travel to Kenya in 2021 originated mainly from USA with 43 per cent of total demand, followed by Germany 8 per cent, UK 7 per cent and Canada 4 per cent.

On the outlook on recovery, travel demand remains significantly below pre-Covid levels owing to international travel restrictions in key markets in Europe, North America and Asia but is steadily rising.

The data presented indicated that Covid-19 related restrictions were a showstopper as 84 per cent of respondents said they won’t travel if there is a chance of quarantine.

Jamel Chandoul Senior Vice President, MEA Amadeus who spoke during the release of the report noted that the sector’s recovery will be driven by rebuilding traveller confidence and trust.

According to the United Nations’ World Travel Organization (UNWTO), it is important for countries to start lifting travel restrictions to significantly improve traveller confidence.

Mohammed Wanyoike, KATA Chairman expressed confidence on the industry making a full recovery sooner rather than later.

“The industry is currently performing at about 40 per cent of the 2019 numbers and this is an indication that the worst is behind us,” he said.

Kenya’s tourism and travel industry took a beating from pandemic, with the Tourism Research Institute indicating over 1.2 million jobs lost.

Source: The Star