The Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) held a successful webinar with travel agents in Kenya and Rwanda on Thursday last week following a partnership agreement signed in January 2021 with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), East African Tourism Platform (EATP) and Rwanda Chamber of Tourism (RCT) to promote business and leisure travel in the East African Region.

The webinar was aimed at sensitizing travel agents on destination Rwanda and promotion of awareness of the #VisitRwanda campaign. The webinar highlighted the various opportunities available in Rwanda for business, leisure and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) travel.

As EAC countries begin to resume normalcy, there is need for travel agents to rebuild their businesses that have been hit hard by COVID-19, and travel within the region is a critical starting point.

Mr. Mohamed Wanyoike, the chairperson for the Kenya Association of Travel Agents and a passionate proponent of intra-regional travel, said that the East African market is critical to Kenyan travel agents’ rebuilding process. In this context, he urged Kenyan travel agents to establish B2B linkages with their Rwandan counterparts and come up with creative travel packages that will spur regional travel.

“I encourage you to continue to focus on the opportunities in the Rwandan market, and encourage travellers to venture out to spectacular regional destinations in Rwanda,” he said.

He also emphasized that travellers in the Post Covid-19 era will be keen on security, wellness, and comfort and said that the three aspects that must be maintained in order to revive the spirit of travel in a post-COVID-19 situation. “These aspects will be a benchmark to gain the confidence of the domestic and regional traveller in order to revitalize travel,” stated Mr Wanyoike.

He urged all the regional stakeholders, business travel actors, as well as the travel industry to also be cognizant of the travel health protocols both in Kenya and Rwanda and the entire EAC, as strict adherence will be key restarting the travel industry.

Mr Wanyoike’s sentiments mirror the findings of the Travellers Readiness to Travel Post Covid-19 Survey that was conducted by KATA in partnership with the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre. The survey, that sought to gather insights on the travel habits of travelers, and how travel has been impacted by Covid-19, showed that 65 percent of travellers are willing and ready to start domestic travel with 34 percent willing to travel regionally.

This means that the efforts of KATA and its partners in boosting regional travel is a realistic expectation of the travel trend in the near future. KATA has been keen on creating partnerships that will enable her members establish business linkages and aid in the resumption of travel.

Following the successful webinar, KATA and her partners will be hosting subsequent B2B engagement sessions with travel agents from both countries that will go a long way in deepening business engagements among the agents. The Association will later conduct familiarization trips for her members to Rwanda to facilitate the much-needed destination knowledge and experience.

Robert Okumu, Country Manager RwandAir said that the airline will be sponsoring familiarisation trips into Rwanda for the travel agents in Kenya with a view of giving them an opportunity to experience the Business and Leisure travel products in Rwanda. He also said that they will be offering and competitive holiday packages and experience ahead of Easter Holidays for the Kenyan public to visit and explore the beauty, serenity and tranquility of Rwandan destinations.

Addis Ababa | Ethiopian Airlines has partnered with UNICEF to become its global distributor in the transportation of vaccines and other life-saving supplies. In a statement to the press, Ethiopian committed to prioritize the transportation of the life-saving supplies while ensuring measures such as temperature control, security and freight capacity are adhered to. 

This partnership follows the formation of the UNICEF Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative between UNICEF and leading global airlines to support the COVAX Facility, a global solution to the COVID-19 pandemic that ensures participating countries have fair access to vaccines, regardless of their income level.

Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, lauded the partnership as a great move towards ensuring the safe, timely and efficient transportation of life-saving supplies globally, thereby supporting access to essential services for children and families. 

That Ethiopian was among the airlines selected by UNICEF comes as no surprise. The African Carrier has been working round the clock since the outbreak of the pandemic to ramp up its cargo capacity and deliver PPEs and other medical supplies around the world.

As countries began placing orders and administering COVID-19 vaccines, the big question that emerged was “who will handle the logistical nightmare that is transportation and distribution of the vaccines especially in Africa?”. But Ethiopian had demonstrated a remarkable agility in its response to the increased cargo demand in the wake of the pandemic.

The Airline reconfigured 25 passenger aircraft into freighters using its own internal MRO capabilities besides deploying all its 12 dedicated cargo aircrafts. By ramping up its cargo handling capacity, Ethiopian became the obvious preferred logistics partner for Africa (with Addis Ababa as its distribution hub) by the Jack Ma foundation, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) and the African CDC.

The carrier also operated more than 360 charter flights to transport PPE and other supplies to more than 100 countries across Africa, Europe, US and Asia.

While highlighting its readiness for the distribution of Covid-19 vaccine across Africa and the rest of the world, Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services, in November 2020, announced the launch of a cold chain air freight that will be equipped with a temperature control system that monitors the cabin’s temperature in real-time.

So far, almost all vaccine candidates available need ultra-cold temperatures to transport or store.

Ethiopian Airlines has the largest cargo terminal in Africa, with an annual capacity of 1 million tonnes. The facility now comprises of a 54,000sqm Pharma Wing that has been outfitted with compartmentalized cold storage facilities with temperature between -23°C to 25°C. The Pharma Wing also comes with dedicated cool dollies, a dedicated pharma team, and lease/handling for Envirotainer and DoKaSCH-TS containers.

“We have invested heavily in our cargo capabilities and launched a new cold chain cargo transport equipped with simultaneous cabin temperature controlling system to efficiently distribute life-saving supplies across the world and we will discharge the global mission,” said Mr. GebreMariam.

Last month, Ethiopian Airlines Cargo was fated as the Best Cargo Airline in Africa at the 36th Air Cargo News Awards.

Qatar Airways is set to increase Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg frequencies from March.

The airline said in a statement that it has “applied unrivalled knowledge of global passenger flows and booking trends” to rebuild its South Africa network.

By March 2021, Qatar will operate 28 weekly flights from South Africa.

The airline will operate seven weekly flights from Cape Town, which begin on March 1. It has already increased its weekly flights from Durban (3) and Johannesburg (18).

Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker said South Africa is a top market for the airline.

“We continue to demonstrate our commitment to the region by adding new routes and steadily increasing frequencies across the continent.

“As global travel recovers in 2021, we look forward to further expanding our network and offering more connections to and from Africa via the best airport in the Middle East, Hamad International Airport (HIA), to our global network of over 120 destinations,” he said.

South African Tourism chief executive Sisa Ntshona said the news demonstrates that South Africa has put measures in place for safe travel during Covid-19.

“We are delighted at the confidence shown by Qatar Airways by increasing its air capacity to South Africa in these challenging times.

“This increase demonstrates to the world that South Africa has put the necessary measures in place to ensure that it is safe for travel in the Covid-19 environment.

“Air access is important for South Africa, as we to look to recovery post-Covid.

“Qatar Airways has an extensive global network that links travellers via Doha from our source markets.

“As we embark on our tourism recovery strategy, having airlines such as Qatar Airways play a supporting role by increasing its capacity will go a long way in assisting us to regain the international arrival numbers,” Ntshona said.

Qatar Airways has become the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star Covid-19 Airline Safety Rating by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax.

This follows HIA’s recent success as the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star Covid-19 Airport Safety Rating.

Source: IOL

The Covid-19 vaccine is being rolled out at an precedented pace in human history. The world will be a safer place thanks to this, when millions of people gather in Dubai during the Dubai Expo 2020 this year, said a top official.

Reem Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General of Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau, said: “The rollout of Covid-19 vaccine globally is unprecedented in human history, a testament to human ability and human progress and also to human dignity.

“It is also happening at an astonishing pace, facilitated by the huge strides forward that travel and transport infrastructure has achieved in recent months.”

The UAE on Tuesday announced that over 40 per cent of the country’s population has received the vaccine.

Globally, 176 million shots have been administered in different countries, with Israel and the UAE leading when it comes to doses per 100 population.

Al Hashemi praised the role played by the UAE airlines and other government bodies in delivering Covid-19 vaccines to different parts of the world.

“Earlier this month, an Emirates plane touched down in Johannesburg, bringing with it South Africa’s first consignment of Coivid-19 vaccination – a historic moment in the country’s fight against the pandemic. And that story is being repeated on every continent,” she said.

In Abu Dhabi, the Hope Consortium is leveraging the expertise and infrastructure of Etihad Cargo and Abu Dhabi Ports Company to deliver billions of vaccine doses around the world by the end of this year,” she said during the Expo Talks – Travel and Connectivity webinar held on Tuesday.

UAE top donor

“Furthermore, we are proud of delivering more foreign aid per capita than any other nation because that means we are making a real difference in corners of the globe. That is what we do, because that’s who we are.

“Every time one of those doses makes its way into the arms of the recipient, this marks a victory not just for medical science, but for our shared commitment to human life and societal progress,” she added.

“And when millions of people from all corners of the globe gather in Dubai this October, it will be safer and healthy and fully immersed in the culture and wonders of the countries from all reaches of the globe,” she said.

Source: Khaleej Times

A major winter storm is impacting travel from Texas to the Northeast, causing widespread snowfall and ice that has forced thousands of flight delays and cancellations over the holiday weekend.

As of Monday morning, airports in eastern Texas, including Dallas/Fort Worth International and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental, continue to be hit hard by Winter Storm Uri, canceling hundreds of flights due to the inclement weather conditions. IAH was even forced to close its airfield.

Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines canceled all flights to and from St. Louis on Sunday and scrapped more flights on Monday.

“We did cancel the remaining flights at STL today to avoid passengers and airplanes being stranded as we track the winter storm that’s impacting a number of our airports,” the airline said in a statement.

According to flight-tracking website FlightAware.com, airports in Chicago, Denver and Nashville are also being heavily impacted by the wintry weather Monday, reporting dozens of flight cancellations. As of 9:30 a.m. ET Monday, the website is reporting more than 2,800 flight cancellations nationwide.

“Snow, possibly heavy at times, may fall Monday from eastern Texas into parts of northern Louisiana, Arkansas, the mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys and southern Great Lakes. Some snowfall or ice will expand as far east as the Northeast,” according to Weather.com. “Freezing rain and sleet will occur just to the east of the area of snow from southern and central Louisiana to the Tennessee Valley and the central Appalachians. The ice will make travel dangerous and could also damage trees and knock out power in some areas.”

The storm is expected to finish up in the Northeast on Tuesday, bringing snow and ice to parts of upstate New York and into western and northern New England but only rain to the busy I-95 corridor.

Major airlines, including American, Delta, United, Southwest, Frontier and JetBlue have issued waivers so passengers in affected areas can avoid traveling and becoming stranded without penalty.

As always, travelers impacted by the latest winter storm are encouraged to check their flight status with their airline prior to arriving at the airport and are advised to leave themselves extra time to reach the airport as roadways may be hazardous.

Source: Travel Pulse

ABUJA – Abuja resident Joseph Abba wished to honeymoon with his wife in the United States after their wedding in 2018.

He readied their documents and applied for a visa but says his visa was denied, even though he met the basic requirements.

“As an applicant, the pain of being refused, even when you know you’re qualified, is something else,” Abba said. “Having known the already concluded decisions even before going for the interview, it’s a discouragement on the applicant.”

Nigeria was one of several African nations included in the travel bans imposed by former U.S. president Donald Trump. As a result, travel between Nigeria and the U.S. became almost impossible.

The Trump administration said the restrictions were imposed because of terrorism concerns, saying the countries on the list did not meet minimum security standards.

But critics like Abba doubt security issues were the real reason.

Trump was highly criticized in his early days in office for derogatory comments about Africa countries.

“Nigeria is not the only country in the world that is having insecurity as a problem. Insecurity is just like the pandemic, it’s a global problem,” Abba said.

On his first day in office, Trump’s successor, Joe Biden, signed 17 executive orders, including one that overturned the travel restrictions.

Nigerian business owners like Taiwo Charles, who runs a travel agency in Abuja, welcomed the move.

“It’s a big relief for entrepreneurs like me, especially in the travel industry, who can now begin to see so many opportunities coming up and then begin to enjoy the benefits of influx between Nigeria and America,” Charles said.

With travel made easier once again, Nigerians like Abba said they will begin to visit the United States again, and travel companies are expecting to see a rise in revenue.

Source: VOA News

Travel Agents & Tour Operators can meet, negotiate and interact with 25 African & Indian Ocean Exhibitors Airlines, Tour Operators, Resorts, Tourism Organisations, , and Safari Lodges from 15 different countries in Africa & Indian Ocean islands.

The main objective of the Spotlight Travel Virtual TravelExpo is to promote Inter-regional Travel & Domestic Tourism within Africa & Indian Ocean Islands. The Virtual TravelExpo will take place over two days on 04 & 05 November allowing members to register for both days or for one day only……read more

Do you want to mix business with pleasure in Dubai? With a new one-year virtual working programme, you can live and work by the beach – and enjoy daily sunshine in one of the most dynamic cities in the world.

The new programme gives you the freedom to come to Dubai, bring your family, work remotely all while remaining employed in your home country.        

Why work remotely in Dubai?

Dubai is a connected city with a strong digital infrastructure. It’s also one of the safest places in the world, with a blend of cultures from around the globe.

With sandy beaches, incredible dining and world-class entertainment, you’re offered a great quality of life and a range of attractions – with world-class safety and hygiene measures.

You will also have access to convenient facilities and resources to help you further your career or grow your business.

Work culture has changed. Many of us don’t need to share an office with our colleagues or employer – so why stay at home when you can work from Dubai? Take a look at some of the experiences on offer in Dubai.

How does it work?

• Your virtual working programme is valid 1 year.
• It costs US$287 plus medical insurance with valid UAE coverage and processing fee per person.
• You get access to all required services, including telecoms, utilities, and schooling options.
• You connect to a global hub and a skilled workforce, composed of 200+ nationalities.

What are the steps?

Applicants will need the following:

Passport with minimum 6 months validity

Health insurance with UAE coverage validity

Proof of Employment from current employer with a one-year contract validity, a minimum of US$5,000 per month salary, last months’ payslip and 3 preceding months’ bank statements

Or, if a company owner, then proof of ownership of company for one year or more, with an average monthly income of US$5,000 per month and 3 preceding months’ bank statements

*Payment of processing fee does not guarantee approval of application

How safe is Dubai?

Dubai is fully committed to following all guidelines and measures, ensuring your family’s health is our top priority.

Tourism has reopened in Dubai thanks to safety and hygiene management across the city – with open access to hotels, restaurants, theme parks, beaches and shopping malls.

Dubai was awarded a ‘Safe Travels’ stamp from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). This recognises the emirate’s work to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Dubai has also introduced the ‘Dubai Assured’ stamp to certify establishments that have implemented all necessary health protocols.

We are uniquely positioned to offer both a safe and dynamic lifestyle, with a positive work-life balance.

The city, widely regarded as a leading entrepreneurial hub, also boasts a wealth of top co-working spaces, offering flexible packages ranging from hour-long meeting rooms through to weekly, monthly or quarterly bookings.

Dubai does not levy income tax on individuals.

Source: https://www.visitdubai.com/en/sc7/travel-planning/travel-tools/work-remotely-in-dubai?confirm=1#thankyou