The continent has also been urged to harmonise travel protocols.

African states should lift prohibitive travel restrictions among other measures, to help recovery of the aviation and tourism industries, five civil aviation bodies have advised.

This is in the wake of a struggling industry reeling from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic that threatens the future of key national airlines in the continent, among them Kenya Airways.

In a joint statement, the bodies together with the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), want governments to lift prohibitive travel restrictions in the form of quarantine measures.

This, it says, should apply to  fully vaccinated and negatively tested travellers, in the short term.

They said quarantines should be applicable only to passengers coming from areas with a very high incidence of the virus, and should be regularly reviewed in co-ordination with national and international health authorities.

The African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Airports Council International (ACI) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued the statement.

They advocate for the harmonisation of travel protocols, accessibility of Covid-19 testing facilities, reduction of high tests cost, expediting of the vaccine roll-out campaign in Africa and adoption of globally interoperable digital health passes.

“There is need for constant and sustained dialogue among African governments, civil aviation authorities, tourism and travel industry players, air transport associations and other key stakeholders, to implement harmonised and internationally adopted health and travel protocols,” the statement reads.

This, the sector players say, will bring back the necessary confidence for a safe, simple and seamless air travel “in the new normal.”

African States are encouraged to make available universal, accessible and affordable Covid-19 testing facilities to all air travelers, that is PCR or Rapid antigen tests.

Where possible, African States are also urged to consider alternative testing protocol for travel that uses the rapid diagnostic antigen test which is more cost-effective.

On vaccines, the aviation bodies say it is vital that the roll-out campaign in Africa is expedited equitably with the prime objective of achieving the herd immunity, or that level of vaccination which inhibits the ability of the virus to circulate in the population.

African countries are further encouraged to adopt any form of globally interoperable digital health pass or certificate, approved by the World Health Organization, that will seamlessly integrate into testing and travel processes of the different stakeholders of the air travel industry.

The aviation and tourism industry is among the worse hit by the pandemic, with Kenya loosing about Sh130.9 billion in potential tourism revenues alone.

Africa’s airlines posted a combined $2 billion (over Sh200 billion) loss in 2020.

”This year we expect only a slight improvement ($1.7  billion loss) as the struggle with Covid-19 continues,” IATA said in a recent statement.

Locally, Kenya Airways reported a net loss of Sh36.2 billion, the worst ever in the history of the airline, on account of Covid-19 disruptions that led to a sharp decline in passenger numbers.

National carriers have since been forced to seek governments bailouts with only a handful of African airlines securing $ 2.04 billion (Sh219.5 billion) in government aid, mostly disbursed through direct government loans, equity financing, and cash injections.

Source: The star

The Tourism Ministry has committed to unlocking the value of Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Events and Exhibitions (MICE) sector in Kenya’s rebound.

This comes as Tourism and Wildlife CS Najib Balala puts his weight behind the recently formed Kenya National Convention Bureau (KNCB), which is tasked with marketing Kenya as a MICE destination.

The ministry together with KNCB, led by its National Co-ordinator and CEO Jacinta Nzioka-Mbithi, have developed the ‘Meet in Kenya MICE Brand’ position as part of a broader strategy to diversify tourism industry into MICE.

This is meant to demonstrate what the country stands for, its suitability, facilities and qualities for hosting world class events.

According to the ministry, the meet in Kenya brand and messaging strategy will go a long way in differentiating Kenya’s business travel offer and value proposition in light of evolving traveler preferences, needs, and concerns.

It will also serve to reassure travellers on the safety of travel to Kenya by addressing their health concerns, raise awareness of the destination, including added safety measures and local government regulations and contribute to revive local economies supported by tourism.

“Whilst we cannot predict when this pandemic will end, nor when our industry will fully recover… we do know that great things happen when people come together!” Balala said during the unveiling of the KNCB logo in Nairobi.

He said his ministry through KNCB will continue to play a crucial role in industry level ecosystem collaboration, approaching the future in a clustered way that provides the platform to rethink networks, create new networks, and repackage the destination offering collectively.

“My ministry is committed to unlocking the value of the MICE sector in Kenya’s rebound. We foresee drastic changes in the meetings industry and KNCB will be on the forefront to provide leadership in expanding the economic benefits and impact of MICE post Covid-19,” Balala said.

MICE remains a key segment of the country’s tourism sector where it is estimated every international delegate spends at least Sh376,000 per conference trip of about three to six days.

KNCB has in place a road map for the growth of MICE business in the country, according to Nzioka, with the bureau targeting to position Kenya among the top 50 global MICE destinations and top three in Africa.

“Our vision is to position Kenya as Africa’s leading and authentic MICE destination by 2030,” Nzioka said.

As of 2019, Kenya was ranked 73 globally by the International Congress and Convention Association.

Expansion of MICE will be a boost to the tourism sector, noting that business travellers that participate in leisure activities are growing, with 49 per cent extending their trips to include leisure experiences.

Source: The Star

Kenya and Dubai-based Emirates airline are caught in a row over a push for additional flights into Nairobi, heightening risk of a fresh diplomatic tiff with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia claimed that the airline and the director-general of the aviation authority in Dubai had written to him “very offending” letters in a bid to arm-twist Kenya into allowing more flight frequencies by the Emirati carrier.

“We got a letter recently from the director general, Civil Aviation of Dubai and not one written by United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister. They told us not to fly aircraft that has capacity of more than 220 seats to Dubai but they fly into Kenya aircraft with more than 400 seats,” he told members of the Senate committee on Roads and Transportation on Wednesday.

“When we receive this kind of letters, they send a wrong message in terms of tactics the airline is using and shows that they do not respect Kenya,” the CS added.

The latest stand-off rekindles memories of a spat about a decade ago when Kenya and the UAE were caught in retaliatory travel restrictions for their citizens. The 2010 feud between these countries was triggered by an incident in which Kenyan immigration officials erroneously deported four members of Dubai’s royal family.

The four royals were detained for lacking proper entry visas in Mombasa, interrogated for hours before being returned to Dubai amid claims that they were terror suspects.

Dubai retaliated by imposing restrictions requiring all Kenyans entering the UAE to present proof of higher education in order to obtain a visa. This triggered fear of deportation among thousands of Kenyans working in the Gulf nation, prompting truce talks.

Mr Macharia said Emirates that does 14 weekly flights to Nairobi was seeking additional daily frequencies, a request that Kenya is opposed to because of the skewed advantage in favour of airlines from the Gulf region.

“When you add Etihad Airlines and Air Arabia, in total they have 28 weekly flight frequencies against Kenya Airways’ seven,” he said.

The CS said Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airlines and Air Arabia—all designated to fly from the UAE—currently have a combined weekly seat capacity of 15,400 against Kenya Airways’ 5,510.

“Giving them (Emirates) more flight capacity means they will get 90 percent of business between Nairobi and Dubai while KQ gets 10 percent. This is not tenable,” he said in response to questions filed by Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jnr.

Mr Macharia told legislators that the government had a special interest in KQ by virtue of a Sh75 billion loan guarantee to the airline and would protect it from any threats on its survival.

“However, much they (Emirates) lobby, as Cabinet Secretary for Transport, I will not approve additional seats or flights frequencies for the UAE airlines,” he said.

The CS said the government’s decision is also informed by the number of passengers which went down as a result of Covid-19 pandemic.

“Every airline is struggling. Giving Emirates additional frequencies will compound a difficult situation. We shall not agree even if they continue lobbying because this is not tenable,” Mr Macharia said.

He said Emirates Airlines benefits from substantial government subsidy and is, therefore, capable of selling out the seats in Nairobi-Dubai route at throw-away prices due to the subsidy.

He said only the national career, KQ, can protect Kenya’s national interests in terms of emergencies.

“When Covid-19 struck, we looked for airlines to evacuate our people but only KQ came in handy. We had to change configuration of two KQ planes 747 to help us ship in vaccines because no airline wanted to help us,” Mr Macharia said.

He said KQ, as Kenya Airways is known by its international code, is a corporate entity that impacts heavily on the country’s economy particularly in tourism and movement of horticultural products including flowers. “When it comes to protection, we can’t hesitate to protect KQ,” he said.

In February, KQ said it will need at least $500 million (Sh54.87 billion) in bailouts in the next nine months as it navigates the turbulent aviation sector following collapse in air travel demand amid Covid-19 economic fallout.

Source: Business Daily

Africa is an important and growing part of Qatar Airways’ network, but where could be next and how suited is the airline’s fleet? Qatar Airways’ Hendrik Du Preez, Vice-President for Africa, recently spoke to Routesonline about the airline’s development and opportunities across the vast continent.

Qatar Airways’ Africa network now comprises 26 destinations, analyzing OAG data indicates, up from 24 in 2019. Abuja, Accra, and Luanda were all added in 2020, while Abidjan is coming this June. Meanwhile, Cairo and Alexandria have resumed following the end of the blockade.

These additions have offset the loss of Gaborone, Marrakesh, Rabat, and Windhoek. Speaking to Routesonline, Du Preeze singled out both Gaborone and Windhoek –  each very tourist-driven – as likely to return next year.

Where could be next?

Resumptions are just one part of Qatar Airways‘ plan for Africa.

“We are definitely looking at other destinations in Africa as there is huge potential across the continent for new routes.”

The Democratic Republic of Congo, Somaliland, South Sudan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, were all mentioned by Du Preez as possible future destinations. And the capitals of these countries – Kinshasa, Hargeisa, Juba, Lusaka, and Harare – would make sense. Pre-COVID, Dubai had up to 13 weekly departures to Hargeisa, 11 by Emirates’ partner, flydubai.

Partners are crucial

Qatar Airways has often relied on partner airlines to reach parts of the continent that it did not serve, and they have been crucial to its development.

“We have an interline agreement with Air Côte d’Ivoire, which is important because we do not have that reach in West Africa. We have interlines with many of the airlines all over Africa.”

He said that negotiation is still ongoing with Rwandair, with data showing Qatar Airways has served Kigali since 2012. And South Africa’s Comair, a British Airways franchisee, may well become a partner too. South Africa is by far Qatar Airways’ number-one country in Africa this year, with Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg served.

A mixed fleet enables growth

Du Preez believes that Qatar Airways’ mixed fleet is crucial to its Africa development. This offers flexibility and the opportunity to right-size capacity to demand as passenger traffic picks up; after all, it can take a good while for a long-haul to develop.

It also enables the airline to start a new route – perhaps a secondary destination, of which “there are a many of them” – with a smaller aircraft and to build up over time

Qatar Airways uses eight aircraft types to Africa this year. In order of the number of flights, they are the B787-8, A350-900, A320, B777-300ER, A350-1000, B777-200LR, B787-9, and A319. The carrier used the A319 on just one route – to Seychelles – back in January.

Cargo focus

The carrier’s mixed fleet also enables a strong focus on cargo, where it makes sense, which can make a huge difference. As Du Preez said:

“Thanks to the belly hold of the B787s and A350s, a lot of the [trip] cost can be covered by the cargo and at the same time we are building up on the passenger side.” 

Source: Simple Flying

Expo 2020 Dubai was hailed a “beacon of hope” for international travel as plans to welcome the world to the UAE this year take shape.

The first Expo hosted in the Middle East is set to be the largest global gathering held during the coronavirus pandemic period after Tokyo Olympics organisers said overseas visitors would be barred.

Expo 2020 chiefs authorised more than 2,500 travel groups, airlines and cruise companies to sell tickets and include the world fair in their itinerary as they stay focused on their goal of 25 million visits during the six-month event.

The number of travel businesses involved is expected to grow to more than 3,500 by the end of the summer.

A cautious approach is being taken, however, in traditionally strong markets such as India because of coronavirus travel restrictions in case the bans remain in force when the event in Dubai opens in October.

A mobile app to help visitors plan their journey across the Dubai Expo site will be released this summer.

“We have observed the travel industry is actually seeing Expo as a beacon of hope for international travel because this is going to be the first global gathering in the pandemic era,” Sumathi Ramanathan, vice president of market strategy and sales for Expo 2020 Dubai, told The National.

“The Tokyo Olympics is going ahead without [overseas] spectators, and therefore the first global gathering that will happen in the world where you will actually have visitors will be Expo 2020.”

The Expo has signed thousands of agreements so airlines, cruise companies, tour operators and agents, including Saudi Arabia’s Al Tayyar and Al Fursan travel groups, can officially resell tickets.

There is strong interest from leisure and business visitors, with international airlines also taking note. Details of partnerships will be made public later.

Ticket prices will be revealed in mid-July and made available on the Expo website.

Expo to offer tailored travel packages

Three sets of visitors have been identified. The Expo is working with tour operators to include the event on the travel itinerary of tourists planning a holiday in the Emirates.

Stopover packages are being drawn up for passengers in transit.

A more detailed “Expo enthusiasts” journey is being prepared for visitors who plan to spend three to five days at the site.

Packages will include air tickets, and the tour operator will bundle it with a hotel stay, transport and an Expo ticket.

Expo organisers are working with tourism authorities in the UAE to gain insights into which markets are recovering.

“Given the fluidity of international travel, we decided to stick to 25 million visits and do everything that we possibly can to drive visitation,” Ms Ramanathan said.

“I think the prediction of which market is going to recover is actually a challenge. But what is not a challenge is our ability to work with a whole range of partners and [ticket] resellers to ensure that we are prepared.

“Being agile and flexible, and ready to go into markets as soon as they open up is one of our biggest strengths.”

All eyes on pandemic as Expo 2020 Dubai draws near

The priority markets are China, India, Russia, the US, UK, Germany and the Gulf.

Organisers have decided to hold off promotions in nations struggling to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s a watch-and-see approach,” Ms Ramanathan said.

“We need to be sensitive. We can’t just go in right now and do heavy marketing in some markets which are not ready for travel.”

Dubai’s decision to remain open to international visitors since July last year caught the industry’s attention.

There has been significant interest from Spain and Italy because both countries hosted expos.

Trade enquires from Portugal, France in Europe, Jordan and Egypt in the Middle East, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Nigeria in Africa took organisers by surprise.

There is also demand from Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.

Itineraries are being designed for visitors based on an understanding of how nationalities travel.

Group itineraries have been put together for Russian visitors who tend to travel as a group.

Family packages are being designed for Indians, and plans will suit older visitors from Germany.

“One of our biggest strengths comes in terms of being able to customise and tailor the journeys,” Ms Ramanathan said.

The Expo app will allow people to plan which of the 192 country sites and more than 100 food outlets they will visit.

“You can come in and say, ‘Okay, I want to visit these five countries, I want to watch these six performances, I want to try out these three cuisines, and the app will curate an itinerary for you,” she said.

“We have various opportunities for visitors depending on your passion, your interests or your group size.”

The app will help with navigation and additional information on the site.

Itineraries will be prepared for businesses from health and wellness, academics and sustainability experts to identify programmes related to their field.

Covid-19 provides unique challenges

Expo chiefs have informed about 200 participant nations their staff can have free vaccinations. There is no plan for vaccines to be offered to tourists.

People can buy tickets directly from the website or the mobile app from mid-July.

Tickets will also be available from authorised re-sellers such as airlines or tour operators.

Keeping in mind Covid-19 travel restrictions, people will have the flexibility to change their plans.

“The most important thing is making Expo accessible for everyone,” Ms Ramanathan said.

“In today’s challenging travel climate, we want to make it easy for everyone.”

Source: National News

Kenyans based in the US will now be able to re-apply for e-passports at the Kenyan Consulate in Los Angeles, California.

The move comes months after Paddy Mwembu, a Kenyan living in the US, launched a petition urging President Kenyatta to order the processing of digital passports at the Los Angeles consulate.

“The Kenya Consulate in Los Angeles has been approved by the Government to process the new generation ePassports,” the Kenyan Embassy in Washington, DC said in a statement on Thursday.

“As we embark on the process of setting up the infrastructure, we call on Kenyans to be patient as you will be advised on when the e-Passport system in Los Angeles is up and running.”

Mwembu, who lives in California, wrote a petition to the Office of the President saying nearly half of the Kenyans living in the US are on the west coast and that this justifies the need for a passport application centre on that side.

“Considering the distance and the cost of travel to Washington DC for processing of e-passport biometrics only, [it] fails to make economic sense. The distance to Washington DC is extreme and the total cost is prohibitive,” he said in the petition that has so far gathered 1,000 signatures from the diaspora community.

The consulate offers several services to Kenyans including the processing of birth certificates and identity cards. But they have to travel to Washington DC, some 4,300 kilometres from Los Angeles, to apply for the new generation passport.

When the government launched the e-passport in August 2017, it initially gave a deadline of September 2019 for everyone to ditch the old generation document.

But pressure from the public forced the government to extend the deadline to March 2021 and again to December 31, 2021.

In February, the Immigration Department said about 1.8 million Kenyans, mostly in the diaspora, had not replaced their documents.

In February, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said that starting January 1, 2022, the old dark blue passport will be null and void and no Kenyan will be able to travel internationally without a valid East African Community biometric e-passport.

Kenya has been phasing out the old-generation passports as part of a binding commitment to migrate to the new EA e-passport.

The digital passport has enhanced security features embedded in an electronic chip to minimize fraud, identity theft, forgery, and passport skimming.

Source: Nairobi News

At least 4.5 million people had their personal data exposed after an IT system used by Air India was subjected to a “sophisticated cyber attack”.

The airline was first notified of the breach in February, but only disclosed its involvement in the past week.

Details including names, passport information and payment details stretching back 10 years were accessed by the cybercriminals.

However, CVV/CVC numbers and passwords were not accessed, according to a statement.

The compromised software was operated by SITA Passenger Service System according to Air India.

SITA put out a statement acknowledging the hack at the beginning of March, but did not specify how many people were affected or which airlines had fallen prey.

Other major carriers were also affected, including Star Alliance members Singapore Airlines, New Zealand Air and Lufthansa.

Air India said that the incident “affected around 4,500,000 data subjects in the world” but did not specify how many were their customers.

The hackers managed to get their hands on data from 26 August 2011 to 3 February 2021.

The airline’s statement said: “Air India would like to inform its valued customers that its Passenger Service System (PSS) provider has informed about a sophisticated cyber attack it was subjected to in the last week of February 2021.

“While the level and scope of sophistication is being ascertained through forensic analysis and the exercise is ongoing, the service provider has confirmed that post incident, no unauthorised activity inside the PSS infrastructure has been detected.”

A second press release added that, after the notification of the hack, the steps taken included: “Investigating the data security incident, securing the compromised servers, engaging external specialists of data security incidents, notifying and liaising with the credit card issuers and resetting passwords of Air India Frequent Flyer Program.”

It added: “Further, our data processor has ensured that no abnormal activity was observed after securing the compromised servers.

“While we and our data processor continue to take remedial actions including but not limited to the above, we would also encourage passengers to change passwords wherever applicable to ensure safety of their personal data.”

Source: Sky News

Africa’s travel recovery will be fueled by substantial pent-up demand, according to the “Africa Travel Recovery, Opportunity & Risks Research Brief”, by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics Company, written exclusively for Africa Travel Week (ATW).

Lockdown restrictions have suppressed a significant amount of demand, especially for leisure travel, and the easing of restrictions and continued vaccine progress will be essential to realise this latent travel demand, the report states.

While a more youthful population has minimised the impact of the health crisis in Africa, there are concerns regarding the region’s access to vaccines. However, the COVAX initiative has helped alleviate these anxieties by providing and campaigning for a more equitable distribution of vaccines.

While we wait for a return of international visitor arrivals, stymied by renewed coronavirus outbreaks and the emergence of 501Y.V2, first reported in South Africa, a strong domestic market and an uplift in short-haul travel will support the travel industry in the near-term, adds the report.

According to the report, domestic travel is set to account for 73% of total arrivals in 2021 – up from 55% in 2019. Reduced travel appetite for far-away travel will increase the short-haul share of international arrivals in 2021 to support markets which have been traditionally more dependent on longer-haul markets.

Lastly, continued infrastructure improvements, targeted tourism support and concentrated digital marketing campaigns could help stimulate future tourism growth. Infrastructure improvements and better use of digital platforms could help increase destination competitiveness. This could add to lingering demand for less-crowded destinations with outdoor activities and attractions, which will also be fuelled by a rise in more sustainable travel.

“While we grapple with the ever-changing environment, this Tourism Economics Report, compiled exclusively for Africa Travel Week, shines a positive spotlight on the potential for tourism to Africa. Our role as Africa Travel Week is to keep the interest in travel to Africa burning by providing a dynamic platform for stakeholders to reconnect as we work together at Making Travel Happen Again,” says Megan Oberholzer, Portfolio Director: Travel, Tourism and Creative Industries at Reed Exhibitions Africa.

Source: Travel Daily News

Namibia will host the United Nations World Tourism Organization Regional Conference on Strengthening Brand Africa for the Swift Recovery of the Tourism Sector from the 14 to 16 June in Windhoek.

The United Nations World Tourism Regional Director for Africa, Ms. Elcia Grandcourt, has been present in Namibia this past week undertaking a planning mission for the Conference, the Minister of Environment, Tourism and Forestry, Pohamba Shifeta said on Thursday.

Shifeta said it is expected that approximately 100 to 150 people will participate at the conference, mainly representatives from national tourism and destination management organizations, officials from ministries responsible for tourism from African countries as well as representatives of Micro and SMEs.

The conference will be attended by the Secretary General of the UNWTO and it is anticipated that several ministers responsible for tourism from various African countries will also attend the Conference.

“It is well known that the tourism sector has been one of the most hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic at the national and regional level. The closure of borders and cross border restrictions on travel over the past year or so has had a terrible impact on direct and indirect beneficiaries of the tourism sector such as hotels, communal conservancies, travel agents, airlines, vehicle rental companies, tour operators, hunting operators as well as restaurants and entertainment facilities targeting tourists. In Namibia alone, we have seen a reduction of approximately 90% in visitors to our top tourism attractions such as Sossusvlei and Etosha National Park” he said.

Shifeta said the theme of the conference; ‘Strengthening Brand Africa for the Swift Recovery of the Tourism Sector’, is fully in line with the International Tourism Revival Initiative announced by HE President, Dr. Hage Geingob in June 2020 and will represent another important step in reviving the sector here at home and more broadly at the continental level.

The conference will focus on national and regional branding to enhance the image of Africa as a tourist destination and for enhancing the digital marketing skills of micro and small and medium tourism enterprises, particularly here in Namibia, Shifeta said.

“All too often we see the image of Africa portrayed in a negative light in the media, we are painted as the continent that is home to wars, poverty and forced emigration. This conference will play an important part in positioning Africa as a tourism destination of choice based on its rich cultures, spectacular scenery and wildlife as well as other attractions. This repositioning will assist the Continent as the tourism sector reopens and recovers from the impacts of the pandemic,” he added.

Furthermore he said the conference will play a direct role in empowering and improving the marketing skills of micro and small and medium enterprises operating in the tourism sector, particularly here in Namibia.

The conference is being hosted by the ministry in collaboration with Namibia Tourism Board.

Source: Namibia Economist