Kenyan tour operators rush to seize Ugandan destinations as interest in the market surges

There is increased interest among Kenyan tour operators to venture into the Ugandan travel market, as Kenya’s tourism sector goes regional.

Every year thousands of Kenyans cross over to Uganda for both business and leisure tours, making Kenya one of the most reliable source markets for Uganda’s travel industry.

Already, a number of Kenyan travel companies have set up shop in the capital Kampala, as they hope to expand their operations.

Adventure tourism, cultural tourism and eco-tourism are the main attractions in Uganda, which is also the source of the Nile, the world’s longest river.

Notably, 75 percent of Uganda’s tourists are from African countries. Kenya, its eastern neighbour, accounts for 50 percent of all arrivals. In 2013, for example, more than 380,000 of the 1.2 million visitors to Uganda were Kenyan.

It was barely surprising then when more than 4,000 Kenyans crossed the border to attend the popular Nyege Nyege festival last week, the highest number of any nationality.

In Kampala’s vibrant nightlife, Kenyan revellers – including at Kenyan-owned clubs – are a common feature, partying the night away with their Ugandan counterparts.

To strengthen the destination’s appeal, Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) last week hosted a group of Kenyan tour operators for a familiarisation tour of the country’s attractions, a visit that was also designed to provide business support and possible partnerships.

The visit by a host of Kenya’s leading tour operators, among them Hemingways Travel, Imagine Africa Tours, Gamewatchers Safaris, Muthaiga Travel, and Zaira Tours is the clearest demonstration yet of the growing interest in the Ugandan market by Kenyan companies.

The Kenyan delegation visited cultural centres and facilities such as Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth, and Bwindi Forest National parks. They also interacted with hotel owners and tour operators from Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda with the aim of boosting cross-border tourism.

Like Kenya, Uganda offers a wide array of flora and fauna to watch in its parks and sanctuaries. The dramatic landscape of hills and lakes adds to the thrill for travellers.

One the highlights in this destination is the rare experience of watching wild animals aboard a boat along Kazinga Channel, a 32-kilometre stretch of water that enjoins lakes Edward and George at Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda.

Here, visitors can see hippos, crocodiles, pelicans, elephants and buffaloes that populate the park.

For the adrenaline adventure seekers, Uganda offers white water rafting experiences on the source of River Nile in Jinja.

‘‘Uganda may not have as many animals as Kenyan parks do, but we pride ourselves for having a population, however small, of each of the different animal species found across the region,’’ says Lilly Ajarova, the chief executive of UTB.

On why there is surging interest by Kenyan tour operators in the Ugandan tour market, Jackie Njambi, a travel consultant at Muthaiga Travel, explains: ‘‘They (operators) are now more aware that Uganda is one of the destinations not to miss out for their clientele, hence the rush to tap the market.’’

Whereas both Kenya and Uganda have similar biodiversity, chimpanzee and mountain gorilla tracking in the latter’s parks gives it an egde. ‘‘These are obvious attractions for many Kenyan clients,’’ says Ms Njambi.

Rashid Hussein, the CEO of Zaira Tours, says Kenyans travelling to Uganda constitute the bulk of his clients. And to seize this growing business opportunity, Hussein has recently had to expand his company’s operations to Uganda, by setting up an office in Kampala.

‘‘The business we receive for Uganda is overwhelming. Kenyans love adventure tours.’’

Then there is the scenery and food diversity, according to Eliud Oyalo, the product director at Imagine Africa Safaris. ‘‘Uganda has one of the most beautiful landscapes in the region,’’ he says.

Uganda’s geography is made up of 165 lakes, including fresh water lakes and crater lakes, constituting nine percent of Africa’s lakes – compared to only 64 in Kenya.

Kenyan travel consultants concur that the Ugandan domestic tourism sector remains largely untapped, describing the situation as a gap for new players in the market to fill.

Says Ms Njambi: ‘‘Generally, international tourism in Uganda has increased due to the greater impact of globalisation.’’

Yvonne Muteru, a travel consultant at Gamewatchers Safaris, describes Uganda as ‘‘one of the most unique natural, cultural and historical attractions in Africa and the world.’’

Her company also hosts pilgrimage tours. ‘‘With 45 million people and 52 indigenous tribes, Uganda has for years been a popular cultural destination. Performances at Ndere Cultural Centre in Kampala are a must-see for visitors,’’ she says.

Mr Oyalo agrees, adding that Uganda’s pilgrimage tourism and cultural heritage are unique.

‘‘The Namugongo Martyrs Shrine is an epicentre of religion. Most spiritual travellers who want to trace the journey of their faith visit Uganda and walk through the journey of the martyrs in their remembrance. We do not have this kind of experience in Kenya,’’ Oyalo says.

Indeed, records from UTB show that pilgrimage and apostolic tourism tours account for a significant number of travellers to Uganda.

Leading sites for religious tourism include Martyrs of Munyonyo Shrine, Namugongo Martyrs Shrine, Gadaffi Mosque and Baha’i Temple at the heart of Kampala.

The Namugongo Martyrs’ shrine, for instance, brings in visitors from around the world to learn and pay tribute to the martyrs, mostly teenage boys, who were butchered by Kabaka Mwanga II of Buganda in the 1800s.

Mwanga II was a ruthless king who was opposed to entry of new religion in his kingdom. Converts of Islam, Christianity and other religions were tortured and burned alive.

There are also those like Ms Njambi who believe this market is friendlier to players. She explains: ‘‘Uganda has lower travel barriers compared to other key [regional] markets such as Kenya.’’

Even so, most top hotels in Uganda have only international rates, which most locals cannot afford, Mr Oyalo notes.

For the luxury traveller, Uganda has a host of premier hotels and lodges for boarding. These include Kyaninga Lodge (Sh140,000 per night), Trackers Safari Lodge (Sh160,000) and Bwindi Lodge that costs between $3,990 (Sh480,000) to $4,300 (Sh518,000) for three nights person.

‘‘There need to be separate rates for the East African market and for the international markets to boost numbers.’’

The director adds that designating seasons as high and low would allow budget tourists from the region to plan their travel to Uganda accordingly.

Through such collaborations, players in both markets are expected to design collective products and packages for tourists from across the region to explore, according to UTB.

‘‘As we position ourselves as the Pearl of Africa, there is the uniqueness in the different experiences and diversity that we offer to complement what the rest of the region offers,’’ says Ms Ajarova.

‘‘It is necessary that our markets work in a complementary arrangement. Uganda can supplement what Kenya does not have as we supplement when they lack. This way, we will be able to give our travellers a fulfilling experience.’’

One such experiences is the mountain gorilla tracking, an experience that Kenya does not have, says Mr Hussein. ‘‘Many Kenyans find it cheaper to do gorilla tracking here (Uganda) than having to travel to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) which are farther.’’

The two Central African countries too offer gorilla tracking experiences, even though Uganda boasts the largest population of the primates. For tour operators such as Mr Hussein, this challenges the three destinations to develop ‘‘competitive packages, with travellers as the biggest beneficiaries.’’

The interest by Kenyan tour operators is also a product of aggressive promotional campaigns in recent years by Ugandan authorities.

Last year, UTB rebranded to reposition the country as a leading tourism destination in Africa under the banner ‘‘Explore Uganda, The Pearl of Africa.’’

This initiative has seen Uganda’s profile as a destination rise dramatically both regionally and internationally.

The East African country is now banking on this revived brand identity to boost tourist numbers as the global travel industry recovers from shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Source: Business Daily

Kenya Tourism Board calls on Africa to create synergies to boost travel

Kenya on Thursday called on African tourism marketers to create synergies that can promote intra-Africa travel.

Joanne Mwangi-Yelbert, the chairperson of the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), said Africa’s tourism boards and stakeholders in public and private sectors should promote the vastness of the continent, its natural beauty, and its immense biodiversity that offers travelers an almost unlimited choice of destinations.

Mwangi said tourism has been growing rapidly over the past decade, but this growth has not been evenly distributed across all African countries.

“A majority of countries are still lagging behind in terms of infrastructure development and market access, which is why partnerships between tourism boards and governments will be key in helping to grow our industry,” she said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

While speaking during a meeting with African tourism board representatives on the sidelines of the Magical Kenya Travel Expo, Mwangi noted that the African continent is one that has great potential for tourism. and insisted that despite the fact that there are many opportunities for intra-Africa travel, little or no synergies exist among the various stakeholders.

“We need to go ahead and capitalize on this opportunity by crafting strategies that will help us achieve our goals,” Mwangi said.

She also urged tourism boards in the continent to seek more partnerships with governments and other stakeholders in the sector to ensure the future success of tourism in Africa, challenging them to be at the frontier in innovating new marketing strategies that can help boost tourism development.

According to the KTB, international arrivals in Africa grew to 18.5 million in 2021 from 16.2 million in 2020.

Source: Xinhua

CDC drops country-by-country COVID guidance for travelers

The federal government is scrapping another of its responses to the pandemic.

On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dropped its country-by-country COVID-19 travel health notices that it began issuing early in the pandemic.

The reason: Fewer countries are testing for the virus or reporting the number of COVID-19 cases. That limits the CDC’s ability to calculate travelers’ risk, according to the agency.

CDC spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund said the agency will only post a travel health notice for an individual country if a situation such as a troubling new variant of the virus changes CDC travel recommendations for that country.

The CDC still recommends that travelers remain up to date on vaccines and follow recommendations found on its international travel page.

That page divides countries into three categories – practice usual precautions, enhanced precautions or avoid nonessential travel.

Restrictions such as testing and quarantine requirements greatly slowed international travel earlier in the pandemic, but many countries eventually lifted those rules for fully vaccinated and boosted people to increase tourism.

In early 2020, before vaccines were available, the United States barred people who had recently been in any of more than three dozen countries. In 2021, the U.S. instead began requiring people to test negative for COVID-19 shortly before boarding planes to the U.S. That rule too was eventually dropped.

Source: USA Today

Nigeria would consider China’s C919 plane for new airline

Nigeria would consider buying China’s newly-certified C919 passenger jet as it grows the country’s fledgling carrier Nigeria Air to 30 planes by around 2025, Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said on Saturday.

Sirika said the new airline would have a mixture of Airbus and Boeing planes, but added the carrier is also willing to look at the Chinese narrowbody jet, which Chinese regulators certified on Friday.

“We haven’t looked at that C919. But if it’s as good as the others then why not,” he told Reuters on the sidelines of the United Nation’s aviation agency’s triennial assembly in Montreal, Canada.

On Friday, China hailed the development of its first medium-haul passenger jet as the embodiment of the country’s drive towards self-sufficiency, with safety approval awarded to a plane that aims to challenge Western aircraft giants for orders.

The first C919 aircraft, designed to compete with popular single-aisle models made by Airbus and Boeing, will be delivered by the end of the year, state Xinhua News Agency said.

It remains unclear when the plane might be certified by the United States or Europe, opening the way to sales in most foreign markets, but industry analysts say it will be up to a decade before China can seriously tackle the existing Boeing-Airbus duopoly.

“China and Nigeria (have a) very cordial and friendly relationship with mutual benefits,” Sirika said.

For decades, China has loaned billions of dollars to Africa to build railroads, power plants and highways as it deepened ties with the continent while extracting minerals and oil.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is the top importer of Chinese goods, hoovering up $23 billion worth in 2021.

Nigeria’s poor transport and power networks have stymied economic growth for decades, holding back the distribution of wealth in Africa’s biggest economy where 40 per cent of people live below the national poverty line.

However, the country is growing its aviation sector, where traffic is now above pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, Sirika said. The airline is one of President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 election campaign promises.

Source: CNA

London Heathrow to lift capacity cap in early 4Q22

London Heathrow will lift its daily capacity cap by the end of October, unnamed sources have told the Washington Post. The airport has made no official announcement on the issue and was not immediately available for comment.

The cap limiting daily departing passengers to 100,000 is currently in place for the period July 12 to October 29. It will not be extended into the winter season, according to airlines briefed by the airport.

Similar measures to control passenger demand in the face of ground staffing shortages have been implemented at other airports, notably Amsterdam Schiphol in the Netherlands, which has attracted the ire of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines for having extended its capacity cap until the end of March 2023.

“This cap has resulted in fewer last-minute cancellations, better punctuality, and shorter waits for bags,” a spokeswoman for Heathrow told the Washington Post. “Our focus has always been on removing the cap as quickly as possible – but we will only do so if we are confident that adding in more passengers will not erode the service levels that the cap has secured.”

While the seasonal capacity reduction will reportedly finish at the end of October, Heathrow will still have a separate restriction that prevents airlines from making changes or additions at peak periods, people familiar with the plans said. The sources said that a different emergency measure, which can be used to limit capacity for shorter periods, will still be available to the airport in the case of severe disruptions during peak travel periods.

Source: Ch-Aviation

Biggest Myths About Traveling to Africa

As a globetrotter who loves to travel solo, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit over 50 countries, mostly during my time living abroad over the past decade.

I currently reside in the Middle East and one of the main reasons for doing so is to be closer to the continent to experience as many African countries as I can. I have visited 8 African countries thus far and can say without a doubt that many myths about traveling throughout Africa are pretty unfounded.

Some common myths that I’d like to dispel are below.

Myth: Africa Is One Big Country

It’s sad to admit that some people still look at a map of Africa and generalize it as just one big country. Conversely, Africa is the world’s second-largest continent made up of 54 countries in total.

It makes up 16 percent of the world’s population, with Nigeria having the largest population in the region. There are a variety of fascinating countries to explore from Algeria to Zimbabwe. It features over 1,000 languages and people have faiths that range from Islam to Christianity.

Myth: Africa Is Dangerous

Many people believe that Africa is a monolith and too dangerous to visit. On the contrary, as someone who is from Detroit and lived on the south side of Chicago, I tell people that if I can survive in those places I can survive anywhere.

While yes, there are regions that have had to deal with extremist attacks such as those by Boko Haram or civil wars in Sudan, nevertheless, according to the 2022 Global Peace Index, several African countries like Ghana, Botswana and The Gambia are in the top 50 most peaceful countries.

I can personally attest to feeling extremely safe and sound during my visit to Ghana in 2019 during the Year of Return for African Americans.

Myth: Traveling To Africa Is Too Expensive

While some may need to save up for a bit to afford the plane ticket to hop over to some places in Africa, you’d be surprised at how many flight deals are available to places like South Africa using flight search engines such as Google Flights.

Deals can be found for as little as $500 depending on the time of year you are able to travel. Additionally, nice and cheap accommodations such as dorms and guesthouses are available throughout in South Africa, Namibia, Morocco, and more destinations.

Myth: Africa Is Underdeveloped

While there are certain areas that would be considered “third world countries” and looking to move towards rapid development in the future, I’d be remised to not mention the host of African countries that are pretty developed.

For example, Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, is known as the Silicon Valley of Africa. It is home to Kigali Innovation City, a community of four world-class learning facilities, tech hubs, and innovative companies.

Morocco is another African country leading the way in science and technology. The Moroccan mobile market has reached over 44 million users and it leads the charge in renewable energy efforts in Africa.

Myth: Safaris Are Africa’s Only Appeal

I’ve experienced safari drives in African countries like South Africa and Kenya.

However, I’ve explored so much more during my travels throughout the continent including relaxing on some of the most beautiful beaches in Zanzibar and Seychelles, as well as visiting the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, traditional markets in Morocco, and climbing “Big Daddy” sand dune in Namibia.

Yes, Africa has a host of opportunities to do game drives in its glorious countries, but it also offers so many more adventures and journeys to experience.

Source: Travel Pulse

Dubai tourism classifies 2 percent of restaurants in the city as fine dining

The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET)’s first official Gastronomy Report has published figures that say just two percent of the city’s restaurants should be classed as fine-dining establishments.

It means of the 13,000 F&B outlets in the emirate, 260 are considered fine-dining venues.

The figures come from researchers JLL, which says there are 340 fine-dining restaurants in the entire country.

In it, it confirmed the emirate is home to 13,000 restaurants and cafes.

It also cited data from JLL, which said that 80 percent of the 340 fine-dining restaurants in the UAE are in the UAE. This means there are 272 fine-dining restaurants in Dubai.

There’s no description or qualification for what JLL or the Gastronomy report classes as a fine-dining outlet, but it does say that this proportion is largely due to demand for fine dining options from international visitors to the city that also drive demand for casual dining and social and drinking options, underlining the expansive range and richness of brands offering such experiences across Dubai.

The inaugural Gault & Millau UAE guide, which focuses on fine-dining outlets, features 130 restaurants.

The study, which surveyed 16,000-plus respondents worldwide, concluded that Dubai ranked ahead of leading tourism peers Singapore and Istanbul for the variety of restaurants on offer, highlighting how the city’s F&B offering has dramatically evolved in recent years to cater for the diverse palates of its international visitors and foreign residents that hail from more than 200 countries.

The gastronomy guide includes Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Jumeirah, DIFC, Karama, Dubai Motor City and Dubai Studio City.

Source: Travel and Tour World

Governor Pledges To Focus On Sustainable Tourism

Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani has said that her administration will spearhead tourism industry revival through inclusive and sustainable tourism products.

Achani said the devolved unit will seek to restore confidence and re-activate the tourism sector to rebuild a more resilient tourism economy in the future.

She underscored the need to focus on the development of domestic tourism because of its huge potential to the local economy, saying her administration would harness the potential of the sector to boost revenues.

Achani said though the country’s tourism and hospitality industry was badly hit by the global Covid-19 pandemic, her administration will work closely with the national government and other stakeholders to ensure that the industry recovers from the ravages of the pandemic.

She said the height of Covid-19 crisis in 2020 and 2021 almost led to a collapse in international travel severely affecting the economies of the coastal counties that are dependent on tourism.

She said the county will come up with a robust roadmap that takes full account of tourism’s current and future economic, social and environmental impacts.

The county boss underscored the need to promote and revive tourism activities in the region, noting that the hospitality and tourism industry was ‘our economic mainstay’.

Achani said she is determined to take the tourism sector to the next level and ensure that it contributes more to socio-economic development. She said this when she met in her office officials from the Kenya Coast Tourism Association (KCTA).

She called on close collaboration between the stakeholders and relevant government agencies noting that such collaborative efforts were necessary to shore up tourism numbers.

She said the county could not develop tourism alone and appealed for the partnership of public, private sector and other stakeholders. “My administration will concentrate on sustainable tourism as one of our main developmental agenda,” said Achani.

She said the county boasts of Diani Beach which has been voted the best beach destination in Africa seven years in a row. “Diani Beach is one of Kwale’s top tourism sites and a destination of first choice and we want to ensure that residents derive benefits from Diani and other premier tourist attractions,” she said.

She said the county will embrace ‘year-round festivals and carnivals’ to raise the profile of the sparkling white sands and lush greenery of Diani and attract more visitors.

“We are keen to project Diani Beach and other sites as tourist hotspots and enhance revenue by focusing on tourism infrastructure, beach cleanliness and security,” she said.

The county boss reckoned that the devolved unit will be seeking to continue to attract Western tourists who flock to its pristine beaches and game reserves such as Shimba Hills National Reserve.

KCTA Chairman Victor Shitaka said alongside sustainable tourism, the devolved unit should invest in infrastructure and give a facelift to the county’s tourism assets.

He said the county and the national government should ensure that all roads leading to the various tourist destinations such as beaches and game parks were properly constructed.

“We want the county government to improve on infrastructure such as street lighting projects so that tourists can walk at night without fear of insecurity,” he said.

Shitaka advocated for an open skies policy noting that it has the potential to increase tourist arrivals to the coastal counties of Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi and Lamu.

“Open skies policy will ensure that these tourism hubs attract more international flights such as Turkish and Emirate airlines patronized by high spending holidaymakers,” he said.

He said open skies agreements will expand international passenger and cargo flights to and from Kenya thus promoting increased travel and trade.

He said open skies will increase the number of high spending holidaymakers, noting that they are a ‘lucrative outbound tourist market’ in the international tourism circuit.

Shitaka at the same time urged the devolved unit to address harassment of beach holidaymakers by beach boys, noting that it is one of the challenges facing beach destinations.

“Harassment by beach boys is denying vacationers the life experience on our white sandy beaches and must be put to stop,” he said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Kenya eyes 1.46 million tourists by December

Kenya hopes to book 1.46 million tourists by the end of the year as the sector’s recovery gains momentum from the adverse effects of the pandemic.

Outgoing Tourism Secretary Najib Balala expressed confidence, citing growth in domestic tourism and value addition.

Mr Balala, while opening the Magical Kenya Tourism Expo (MKTE) 2022 at the Bomas of Kenya on Wednesday, said the estimated arrivals would translate to Sh265 billion in receipts.

“Last year, we recorded 870,000 visitors into the country with revenue receipt of Sh146 billion, and by close of this year, we have better prospects since things have begun looking up”, he said.

The expo, with over 250 exhibitors, has attracted buyers from key source markets, including the US, Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Mr Balala said the participants from about 30 countries demonstrate Kenya’s global attractiveness for investment in tourism development.

“MKTE 2022 represents the aspirations of the tourism sector in Kenya and Africa; it shows that the sector is ready to kick off, and we are ready for business,” he said.

“This is a great platform to sell Kenya to the global tourism market, and we are confident that within these three days, we shall see some interesting developments as we look forward to building on the already existing partnerships between our tourism industry and global players.”

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) chief executive officer, Dr Betty Radier, said the 2022 expo is part board’s efforts to revitalise tourism in Kenya as it focuses on Africa and other emerging markets.

“We are delighted to have the event return in-person after two years. Last year we held the event virtually to ensure that the sector did not lose out on any opportunities,” she said.

“As we continue to work towards our vision of a thriving tourism industry, we are determined to support this vital sector by providing an environment that will attract visitors and enable them to connect with the best in local hospitality, culture and heritage,” said Dr Radier.

The expo is a business-to-business show different from holiday fairs targeting consumers.

The three-day event will run until Friday, October 7.

Source: Business Daily

Air Arabia to help launch new low-cost airline in Sudan

A Sudanese conglomerate DAL Group and Emirati Air Arabia form a joint venture to launch a new low-cost airline in Sudan. 

The new air carrier will be called Air Arabia Sudan. 

The new company will be based in Khartoum International Airport (KRT) in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.

Air Arabia Sudan will operate a fleet of new Airbus A320 aircraft and will adopt Air Arabia Group’s low-cost business model.

Work on securing the relevant approvals and licenses is scheduled to commence shortly, DAL Group and Air Arabia announced in a statement released on September 22, 2022. 

Air Arabia’s footprint in establishing low-cost airlines

Air Arabia has a history of being involved in establishing low-cost carriers. Air Arabia Sudan will be already the fourth airline co-established by the company in the past few years alone. 

  • In September 2021, Air Arabia Group announced its intention to form a joint venture with Pakistani Lakson Group to launch a new airline in Pakistan. The new low-cost carrier, called Fly Jinnah, is going to be based in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, and initially serve domestic destinations within the country, before expanding to include international routes. 
  • In July 2021, it agreed with the Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF) to launch Armenia’s new national, low-cost passenger airline based in Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport (EVN). 
  • In partnership with state-owned Etihad Airways, it launched Air Arabia Abu Dhabi in July 2020. Initially announced in October 2019, the new airline operated its inaugural flight from Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) to Alexandria, Egypt on July 14, 2020.

Besides the recent joint ventures, Air Arabia co-established four other airlines in Egypt, Morocco, Jordan and Nepal. The two later airlines have ceased operations, while Air Arabia Egypt and Air Arabia Maroc continue to operate. 

Source: Aerotime Hub