Travel News Digest, 19 April: SA Airports Celebrated, Rhino Poaching Concerns, Cape Town ‘Big Six’ Appeal

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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