Tag: Kenya

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) on Thursday said the African nation has reopened its borders for Indian travellers, which were closed for a brief period due to the second wave of Covid-19. The temporary ban of passenger flights from India was revoked after a brief period of suspension since May this year as a result of the spike of Covid-19 pandemic in the country, KTB said in a statement. As per Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), the flights from India to Kenya can now resume, which will give impetus to travels that have been curtailed by the Covid-19-pandemic, it added. The ... Read more

The AFEW (African Fund for Endangered Wildlife) Giraffe Centre is located in Langata, just outside Nairobi. The centre has been ostensibly set up as a breeding centre for the endangered Rothschild giraffe, but now operates conservation/education programs for Kenyan school children. The Africa Fund for Endangered Wildlife (A.F.E.W.) Kenya was founded in 1979 by the late Jock Leslie-Melville, a Kenyan citizen of British descent, and his American-born wife, Betty Leslie-Melville. They began the Giraffe Centre after discovering the sad plight of the Rothschild Giraffe. A subspecies of the giraffe found only in the grasslands of East Africa. At the time, ... Read more

Recently people are interested to visit slums and areas where poor people dwell. The practice is getting popularity in Africa, where the organizers of such visits name it as ‘slum tourism’ or ‘poverty tourism’. However, most of the residents are against this practice as it is affecting their dignity. Some have already protested and said they feel like wildlife. Kibera Slum, Kenya Slum tourism actually dates back more than 150 years, when the upper Victorian class travelled from London to the east of the city to see how the lower class lived. It is said that slum tourism in Africa ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: Brenna Holeman Those who like to have some time to spend with Giraffes, visit Giraffe Manor in Nairobi in Kenya. The Giraffe Manor is owned by The Safari Collection and is an exclusive boutique hotel, set in 12 acres of private land within 140 acres of indigenous forest in the Langata suburb of Nairobi. As one of Nairobi’s most iconic buildings, Giraffe Manor has extraordinary appeal that heeds back to the 1930s when European visitors first flocked to East Africa to enjoy safaris. With its stately fascia, elegant interior, verdant green gardens, sunny terraces and delightful courtyards, guests ... Read more

Qatar Airways has launched direct flights to Mombasa city. The flights will be operated with an Airbus A320, with 12 business class and 120 economy class seats, with a flight time of just over six hours. The inaugural flight, which features 12 Business Class seats and 120 seats in Economy Class and 150 visitors on board, touched Mombasa at 8:40 am. “The direct flight is not only an endorsement of the destination, but a vote of confidence on the Kenyan coast that has suffered in number of international arrivals. This is good news for the sector and together with the private sector, ... Read more

Actress Maggie Q, Good Will Ambassador for Kageno, received the 2018 World Tourism Humanitarian Award on November 5, 2018, the opening day of World Travel Market at the Excel London. World Tourism Humanitarian Award was presented to Maggie Q in recognition of her humanitarian efforts by raising funds in support of Kageno, an organization that transforms impoverished communities, specifically in Kenya and Rwanda, by focusing on programs for clean water, health care, conservation and education. Margaret Denise Quigley, professionally known as Maggie Q, is an American actress, model and animal rights activist. She is known for starring in the action ... Read more

The Kenyan government to review a charter incentives program to incorporate low-cost carriers and scheduled flights to boost inbound tourism. Joe Okudo, permanent secretary at the tourism ministry, said the number of charters has risen from one charter (Condor Airlines) to 10 now, boosting tourism business in the region, which has been affected by negative travel advisories. “This move will not only strengthen our destination’s brand visibility as a whole in the source markets but increase visitor number. It will allow us to venture into joint marketing initiatives with the airline operator and the travel agents’ consortia,” said Okudo, as ... Read more

Marriott International reveals Robust expansion plans across Africa. The hospitality major said it is also expecting to increase portfolio by 50 per cent with over 200 hotels and 38,000 rooms by 2023. From the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) in Nairobi, Kenya, Marriott International today announced rapid expansion plans across Africa. Strong demand for select-service brands and conversion opportunities are driving the momentum of growth for the company, amplified by five new hotel signings. The new signings will further consolidate Marriott International’s presence in Ghana, Kenya, Morocco and South Africa and mark the company’s entry into Mozambique. The signings put ... Read more

Kericho Tea Plantation (Photo courtesy: jamiiforums.com) Kenya plans to grant loans at discounted interest rates to the hospitality industry to promote green tourism. It was informed by Jonah Ormoi, the chief executive officer of State-owned Tourism Finance Corporation. “We will extend loans at below market rates to the hospitality sector in order to ensure that the tourism sector has a low carbon footprint,” Ormoi said during a forum on sustainable trends in the MICE (Meetings Incentives Conference and Exhibitions) tourism sector. Repayment of the loan should only be started after 24 months from the date of loan.  The authorities expect ... Read more

Launch of Flip-Flop dhow at Lamu Island, Kenya Lamu Island of Kenyan has marked history on recycling plastic on 15th September 2018, by sailing on boat built entirely of recycled plastic. They have been collecting plastics from the ocean and the surroundings through their clean-up campaign since last year. In order to curtail the menace of plastic to the environment, the Kenyan government has imposed the world’s toughest law against plastic bags, stating offenders, including producers, retailers, and ordinary users, to face imprisonment for up to four years or fines of USD 40,000. Boat under construction Mostly all the plastic ... Read more

Kenya to have discussions with economy airlines such as Ryanair and easyJet to begin flying to the East African nation famous for its beaches and safaris. Tourism is one of the country’s highest revenue earners of the nation and earned around USD 1.2 billion last year, as per statistics from the Kenya Tourism Board. “We are developing a strategy to encourage low-cost carriers from the U.K. to fly here,” said Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Kenya. Other than beaches and safaris, Kenya is also popular for its wildlife. The authorities expect, with the arrival of low-cost flights the inbound tourist ... Read more

  The Oberoi group is planning to start three resorts – one in Kenya and two in India- to explore benefits of wild life tourism. As per reports, The EIH group, one of the giants in the hospitality industry, will start a luxury resort on the outskirts of Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Named as The Oberoi Wildlife Resort, the new hospitality center will spread on a 5000-acre site overlooking the Mara valley offering views of Mara Triangle and annual migration of animals from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania into the Maasai Mara in search of green pasture.. ... Read more

Kenya plans to set up a network of marine museums across the country to enhance tourism. Caesar Bita, Head of Underwater Archaeology at the National Museums of Kenya, told the media that the museums will be located offshore along the Indian Ocean coastline, major lakes and rivers. Kenya’s underwater cultural heritage will be collected, preserved and displayed in the museums in order to boost the tourism sector,” Bita said on the sidelines of the Fifth World Congress of Geoversal Civilization, which runs from July 16 to 21, aims to promote cooperation among world civilizations. The marine museums will also provide ... Read more

Kenya is all set to benefit from a new visa regime by South Africa that is aimed at increasing intra-Africa travel. South Africa has announced it will start issuing visas on arrival for travellers from selected countries, including Kenya. The two countries have been involved in critical dialogues that developed into a diplomatic row. Kenya even threatened to introduce a new travel rule requiring South African passport holders to apply for a visa prior to traveling or transiting through the country after the latter refused to reciprocate. South African Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom has, however, said his country is in ... Read more

The world’s last surviving male northern white rhino, Sudan, who lived at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, has died after months of ill health. The 45-year-old Sudan died after age-related complications worsened. Only two females of the subspecies are alive in the world at present. Now, the only way to preserve the northern white rhino, is trying in vitro fertilisation (IVF) techniques. Sudan lived in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. Researchers have saved some of Sudan’s genetic material in the hopes of successfully artificially inseminating one of the two females left. Sudan made headlines last year when the Tinder ... Read more