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Travel News Digest, 3 May: Flooding in the Maasai Mara, Turtles Rescued in Cape Town

Vihann Van Wyk

Author: Vihann Van Wyk

Published: 3 May 2024

Last Update: 6 November 2024

This week’s latest travel news includes proposed changes to visa policies, flooding in the Maasai Mara, and conservation rescue stories from South Africa. Meanwhile, North Africa and Europe could be connected by an underwater railway line as early as 2030. Read about these stories and more as we wrap up the previous week’s travel news:

Airline and Aviation News:

A Delta Airlines aeroplane.
A Delta Airlines plane. Photo Source: Unsplash

 

  • Ireland considering ceasing visa-free travel for South Africans. Reports indicate that individuals from Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo are utilising South African passports to apply for asylum in the Republic of Ireland. With expectations of a surge in asylum seekers in the coming months, the nation might consider enhancing its current procedures.

 

  • Report says almost a third of African applicants were denied Schengen visas in 2022. Despite having the lowest number of applications per capita, Africa experienced a visa refusal rate of 30%, which is 12.5% higher than the global average. Mehari Taddele Maru, from the School of Transnational Governance at the European University Institute, asserts that “the European visa system exhibits evident bias against African applicants.”

Travel and Destination News:

A wildebeest herd crosses the Mara River.
A wildebeest herd crosses the Mara River. Photo Source: Unsplash
  • Heavy rains cause flooding in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The Talek River overflowed, leading to significant flooding in Talek Town and submerging numerous tourist camps. Additionally, the collapse of the Purungat Bridge has disrupted communication and access. Fortunately, all personnel and visitors have been safely evacuated.

 

  • Firefighters smother Table Mountain fire. The Skeleton Gorge fire charred approximately 238 hectares of vegetation since it started on April 27th. Ongoing “berg” wind conditions persist in spreading the fire, yet firefighters have managed to contain the majority of active areas. Consequently, several hiking trails have been reopened.

 

  • Underwater tunnel could connect Spain to Morocco before 2030 FIFA World Cup. Various stakeholders are investigating the feasibility of linking Morocco’s Al Boraq high-speed rail line to Spain’s existing rail networks through an underwater tunnel. Initially proposed in 1981, the tunnel’s construction could be finalized in preparation for the 2030 World Cup, slated to be hosted across Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.

Conservation News:

A sea turtle hatchling on a beach.
A sea turtle crawls along a beach. Photo Source: Unsplash

 

  • Rescued Ukrainian lion arrives at sanctuary in South Africa. Four Paws Netherlands rescued Vasylyna from Ukraine after she managed to escape captivity in the war-torn city of Kharkiv. She has since been relocated to Lionrock, a spacious sanctuary in South Africa operated by Four Paws, along with another lion rescued from Montenegro.

 

Discover Africa’s Travel Experts are on the pulse of travel news and tourism trends across Africa. Get in touch to start planning your Safari bucket list adventure today. 

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