Tag: weekly travel news

This week’s latest travel news includes updates on two of South Africa’s airports winning Skytrax accolades and the latest rhino poaching figures. Meanwhile, Airlink and South African Airways continued to battle in court. Read about these stories and more as we wrap up the previous week’s travel news:

Airline and Aviation News:

• Judge rules in Airlink case against SAA and former employee. Airlink alleged that a former staffer defected to the national airline, divulging confidential trade secrets along the way. The Johannesburg High Court has now ruled that SAA is obligated to purge any trace of Airlink’s intellectual property from its records and to not use it in any form going forward.

• Pre-booking of airport parking now available at OR Tambo International. Travellers passing through OR Tambo International Airport can now take advantage of the Acsa app to reserve parking spaces in Parkade 2 beforehand. This convenient system is set to roll out in Cape Town, Durban, and various other urban centers in the near future.

• Two South African Airports have been recognised by Skytrax for its annual ranking list. Cape Town International Airport has been awarded the titles of Best Airport in Africa and Best Airport Staff Service in Africa. Durban’s King Shaka International Airport took home the award for Best Regional Airport in Africa.

Travel and Destination News:

• World Travel Market Africa reports 53% increase in attendance at 2024 event. From April 9th to 11th, WTM Africa 2024 took place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, witnessing a surge of 53% in attendance. Organisers said this accomplishment was a testament to the “resilience and increasing global allure” of the African tourism sector.

• City of Cape Town introduces “Six Pillar Content Partnership Programme”. The objective is to place Capetonians “at the heart” of destination narratives. The initiative seeks to elevate Cape Town’s international visibility and allure and features esteemed partners known as the “Cape Town Big Six,” including the V&A Waterfront, Groot Constantia, Robben Island Museum, Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, Cape Point, and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.

• SANParks reopens Wilderness Ebb-and-Flow Rest Camp after flooding. Extensive flooding caused by rain last week, shut the camp. Conditions have since cleared and several attractions in the Garden Route National Park remain inaccessible, including the Half Collared Kingfisher Trail, Gallinule Bird Hide, Brown Hooded Kingfisher Trail, Waterside Boardwalk, Woodville Big Tree, Outeniqua Hiking Trail, and Outeniqua canoeing.

Conservation News:

• South African reptile species under threat, but better off than elsewhere. A collective of South African herpetologists has expressed concern over the heightened risk of extinction faced by indigenous species such as tortoises, chameleons, and vipers. They emphasize the urgency of implementing enhanced protection measures. Despite these challenges, they acknowledge that South Africa’s reptile population benefits from comparatively robust conservation efforts.

• Rhino poaching in South Africa increased by 10.3% in 2023. Some 406 rhinos were killed on state land in 2023, with a further 93 killed on private land. South Africa is home to almost half of Africa’s critically endangered black rhinos and the largest population of near-threatened white rhinos in the world.

• CapeNature reports back on Cape mountain zebra genetic rescue project. According to the organization, a male Cape mountain zebra named GB42 successfully sired a foal in January with genetic material from two of the three genetically distinct stocks. This was followed by another foal born in March, incorporating genes from all three stocks. The project’s objective is to reintroduce lost genetic diversity among Cape mountain zebras by amalgamating genetic stocks that had been artificially isolated from each other decades ago.

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This week’s latest travel news highlights show safari travel enthusiasts have new options for air travel access to South Africa’s famous Kruger National Park. National Geographic unpacks the trend of destination dupes, pegging the Cape Winelands as an exciting alternative to California’s Napa Valley. While biodiversity and conservation efforts have been ramped up across Africa – we’ve curated this selection of travel stories to keep you in the know:

Airline and Aviation News:

• FlySafair connects Cape Town to Kruger: South African low-cost carrier FlySafair’s inaugural flight between Cape Town International Airport and Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport launched on 2 April. The flight will operate twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. It puts the popular appeal of Cape Town within reach of travellers to South Africa’s flagship national park, Kruger.
• Virgin Atlantic and Kenya Airways enter codeshare partnership to improve connectivity in East Africa. The partnership enables Virgin Atlantic customers to book flights on Kenya Airways’ London-Nairobi route directly. Kenya remains popular with UK travellers, who no longer need a traditional visa to enter.
• Ethiopian Airlines makes Maun its second Bostwana destination. The airline announced the launch of a service between Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Maun, Botswana. The route will facilitate more international access to the Okavango Delta.
• “SAA really is here to stay” South Africa’s national carrier has doubled its routes since September 2021 and will take delivery of four Airbus aircraft in the coming weeks. It interim CEO of SAA, Professor John Lamola, added he is confident the airline’s “new economic profile will unlock new funding opportunities.”

Travel and Destination News:

• Malawi extends visa-free entry to 75 countries. U.S travellers are amongst a host of new countries that now qualify for visa-free entry to Malawi. Top attractions include Lake Malawi, Liwonde National Park with its prolific elephant, hippo, and crocodile populations, and the Nyika Plateau’s unique landscapes.
• Cape Winelands a destination dupe for Napa Valley: Want to swap California’s vineyards for Stellenbosch or Franschhoek in the Western Cape? National Geographic agrees. The destination dupes trend is best described as  alternative travel spots that offer similar experiences to famous, often pricier locations but at a lower cost and with fewer crowds.
• Small Towns Tourism Boom: From the Western Cape’s quaint fishing villages to the Eastern Cape’s beauties, a new social media group is being celebrated for sharing the best experiences only found in South Africa’s quaint dorpies or small towns.  Started by Ron Mackenzie, the group has grown to 126k followers since beginning of the year.

Conservation News:

• WATCH: Conservation organisation becomes first in Australia to release captive-bred cheetah back into the African wild. The Wild Cat Conservation Centre in New South Wales, Australia has successfully released a captive-born cheetah, Edie, into the wild in South Africa. It adds that the cat has “undergone a phased return to the wild”, including fitness development, diet changes, and “support while she honed her predatory skills”.
• The South African government aims to set national biodiversity targets by 2036, with strategies akin to its climate initiatives, including boosting game meat production and sales, as reported by MoneyWeb.
• Largest African frog species discovered in over a century. A North-West University team found the Pyxicephalus beytelli, in parts of Namibia, Angola, Zambia, and Botswana. The frog is known for its yellow-green color and large teeth for hunting various prey.
• Great White Conservation now a matter of urgency. Marine experts, including Dr. Enrico Gennari of the Oceans Research Institute, stressed the urgent need for great white shark conservation in South Africa, noting a significant drop in Western Cape sightings to less than 10 per year. Orcas are believed to have  influenced white shark numbers and behaviours in the region, forcing the need to double down on conservation efforts.