Zimbabwe to Host Africa Travel Association's 37th Annual World Congress

Thursday, 20 June 2013 00:38

Zimbabwe is set to host the Africa Travel Association's 37th Annual World Congress in Victoria Falls in May 18-22. This conference is as a precursor to the co-hosting of the United Nations World Tourism Organization General Assembly conference with Zambia in August. The five-day congress in the country’s capital, will offer a wide range of networking events, including receptions, gala dinners and the ATA Young Professionals Program, representing travel, tourism and hospitality students and young professionals from North America and Africa. ATA

“It is indeed an honor to be the proud host of the ATA’s 2012 World Congress. The 37th annual Congress in Zimbabwe will afford the delegates an opportunity to experience our many attractions.” said the Honorable Walter Mzembi, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry of the Republic of Zimbabwe. “We look forward to telling our story about Zimbabwe, A World of Wonders.”

At least 300 participants are expected to attend including tourism ministers, tourism board heads, private sector leaders, travel industry professionals, including product buyers and sellers, travel trade media, scholars and African Diaspora leaders.

ATA executive director Mr Edward Bergman made the announcement following an ATA official trip to Zimbabwe hosted by Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, where the delegation met with representatives from the tourism sector from Zimbabwe.

During this visit, the ATA delegation also met with Ambassador Charles Ray, US Ambassador to Zimbabwe who expressed his support with the following statement: “Zimbabwe offers a ‘World of Wonders’ to tickle the fancy and sense of adventure of the full array of international travelers…Your visit to Zimbabwe will bring a smile to your face for a lifetime. I applaud ATA’s vision in hosting its 37th Annual Congress in Victoria Falls and opening the world’s eyes to what Zimbabwe has to offer. I look forward to seeing you by the Falls in May.”

Bergman said that the 2012 congress should surpass all expectations and is an event not to be missed. "ATA was last in Zimbabwe in 1988, when the congress was held in Harare and, after 23 years, we are proud to be heading back. We are positive that the 2012 congress will attract leading tourism experts from across the globe,” he said.

Zimbabwe, also known as “a world of wonders,” boasts a wide array of attractions, including its own seven wonders: (1) People and culture; (2) History and heritage; (3) Great Zimbabwe (grand medieval palace); (4) Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya); (5) Wildlife and nature; (6) Eastern Highlands; and (7) Lake Kariba. Delegates get to do a tour during the Host Country Day and by participating in pre and post congress tours. Zimbabwe hosting the ATA is testimony to the improving tourism industry, which last year was estimated to have grown by around 10 percent.

Established in 1975, ATA is one of the leading global trade associations promoting travel and tourism to Africa and strengthening intra-Africa partnerships. The organization partners with the African Union Commission to promote the sustainable development of tourism across the African continent.

For more information on ATA, visit. To learn more about Zimbabwe, visit www.zimbabwetourism.net or www.tourism.gov.zw.

Ethiopian Airlines Recognized as African Airline of the Year

Thursday, 20 June 2013 00:38

Ethiopian Airlines Recognized as African Airline of the Year

Ethiopian Airlines was awarded the Gold Award for African Airline of the Year 2011/2012 from the African Aviation News portal. Ethiopian Airlines earned this distinguished honor by receiving the highest number of votes from readers, industry officials, and followers of African Aviation. More than 20,000 total votes were registered in this year’s poll, both online and in various industry meetings and airline congress events.

“We at Ethiopian Airlines are delighted and honored to receive such recognition for the work we do,” said Kagnew Asfaw, Ethiopian Airlines’ Director for the Americas. “Our non-stop Boeing 777LR from Washington Dulles has allowed us to offer improved service to all of Africa, and our recent membership in the Star Alliance will allow us to continue service innovation in the field.”

In the past 65 years, Ethiopian Airlines has become one of Africa’s most reputable airlines, and is unparalleled in the continent for its successful operations in industry service with maximum efficiency. The airline is at the forefront of modern technology, maintaining state-of-the-art fleets and providing excellent services to the pan-African network, as well as to 62 international destinations. In addition, Ethiopian Airlines continues to operate with the conscientious priority of making their Ethiopian Aviation Academy the best flying school in Africa.

Receiving the Gold Award from the African Aviation News portal is a welcome addition to the multitude of distinguished recognitions already bestowed upon the airline by various organizations throughout the industry, the latest of which was the “Airline of the Year Award” presented at the 43^rd African Airlines Associations (AFRAA) Annual General Assembly in November 2011.

About Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines, one of the largest and fastest growing airlines in Africa, made its maiden flight to Cairo in 1946. With the recent addition of flight services to Pointe Noire, Ethiopian provides dependable services to 38 cities in Africa and a total of 62 international destinations spanning throughout four continents. Ethiopian won the NEPAD Transport Infrastructure Excellence Awards 2009 on November 25, 2009 and “Airline of the Year” award from the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) on November 24, 2009, bringing the total Awards honored since January 2009 to five. In August 2008, Ethiopian won “the 2008 Corporate Achievement Award” of Aviation & Allied Business for setting the pace towards the development and growth of the African aviation industry. Ethiopian is also the first African carrier to win the 2008 Brussels Airport Company Award in recognition of its distinguished long haul operations witnessed through the introduction of new routes, new products, and close cooperation with Brussels Airport in marketing activities.

Landmark Harlem Firehouse to be Reborn as Afro-Caribbean Cultural Institute

Thursday, 20 June 2013 00:38

The brick-red firehouse, built in 1888 and empty since the FDNY abandoned it eight years ago, will be reborn as the new headquarters of the Caribbean Cultural Center/ African Diaspora Institute. The organization, which currently resides in Hell’s Kitchen, has spent years raising money for the project, the first phase of which involves a $5 million rehabilitation of the three-story Romanesque Revival building on East 125^th Street, near Lexington Avenue. The former home of the FDNY's Fire Engine Company 36 in East Harlem New York will soon house the Caribbean Cultural Center?African Diaspora Institute. The transformation of a landmark Harlem firehouse into an academy for Afro-Caribbean studies is set to begin this spring.

That money is in the bank, but not enough for the $700,000 second phase, which will revamp the narrow space to accommodate a full-scale community-based group with a reception area, community room, performance space, offices, a shop and a café. The group originally wanted to add two floors to the firehouse, but dropped those plans after realizing how hard it would be to raise another $3 million to cover it.

“We’re pleased that in this difficult economic climate we are moving forward and people are supportive of it,” President Marta Moreno Vega said. “They're excited about the move.” Renovation work will begin in March or April, she said.

The project has had help from local elected officials, including City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito, and the city’s Economic Development Corporation and Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The city has promised to transfer the property to the CCCADI for a dollar.

The agreement was part of a 2008 deal to find cultural uses for the firehouse, which was the longtime home of Fire Engine Company 36 until it and several other FDNY units weredecommissioned in a 2003 budget crisis. The building received landmark status in 1997.

To help finance the redevelopment project, the CCCADI has been trying to sell its West 58^th Street brownstone, which went on the market last July with an asking price of $3.7 million and was soon discounted to $3 million, according to StreetEasy.com.

Vega said Friday that her group was in contract with a buyer, but would not say who it was.

“We are inching along but we’re confident that we will make it,” she said.

Source: dnainfo.com

Sec. General of UN World Tourism Organization Taleb Rifai Encourages Investment in African Tourism

Thursday, 20 June 2013 00:38

a_unwto_teleb Speaking at a recent Tourism Investment Forum for Africa (INVESTOUR), UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary General Taleb Rifai encouraged companies to continue investing in Africa and its growing tourism markets.

“Africa has been one of the fastest-growing tourism regions of the last decade,” said Mr. Rifai, addressing Spanish investors and African tourism stakeholders at INVESTOUR,“With the right investment, tourist arrivals will continue to grow, investors will see excellent returns, jobs will be created, and the entire economy will benefit.”

Speakers at the forum echoed Mr. Rifai’s remarks, underscoring the importance of tourism to the continent in terms of its socio-economic development. Mr. Bello Bouba Maigari, Minister of Tourism and Leisure of Cameroon, spoke of how tourism projects across Central Africa were helping thousands to cross the poverty line. Mr. Nyamajeje Calleb Weggoro of the East African Community (EAC) highlighted Africa’s many tourism assets. “We have barely scraped the surface of our potential,” he said.

Recognizing the potential of tourism in advancing developments goals, Mr. Ricardo Martínez Vázquez, Director General of Casa Africa, stressed the importance of the sector in the global cooperation agenda. “With one billion people expected to travel the world in 2012, we need to include tourism as a priority within Spanish foreign policy and cooperation actions,” he said.

INVESTOUR, now in its third year, aims to increase the visibility of Africa as a tourism destination and mobilize investment for sustainable tourism projects in the region. Over 25 African countries were represented at the forum, which included a series of presentations and debates followed by business-to-business meetings between Africa tourism companies and authorities and Spanish private sector representatives. Co-organized by UNWTO, Casa Africa, and the international tourism trade fair, FITUR, the 2012 edition featured the Economic Community of Central African States (CEMAC) and the East African Community (EAC) as specially-invited regions.

International tourism in Africa grew from 27 million international tourist arrivals in 2000 to 50 million in 2011. International tourism receipts, a vital source of foreign exchange in the region, tripled in just one decade (from US$10 billion in 2000 to US$30 billion in 2010).

Source: eTurbo News

Henry Tanner Exhibit at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts

Thursday, 20 June 2013 00:38

A major exhibition of artwork by African-American artist Henry Ossawa Tanner premiered at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, on January 27 and will run through April 15, 2012. Henry Ossawa Tanner: Modern Spirit will contain over 100 works, including 12 paintings that have never been shown in a Tanner retrospective and the only two known sculptures that Tanner completed. The exhibition also includes Tanner's famed Resurrection of Lazarus, from the collection of the Musée d'Orsay, a career-making canvas that earned Tanner his first international praise when it was exhibited in 1897 and which has never crossed the Atlantic. Tanner, a native of Philadelphia, was America's first internationally renowned African-American artist. 220px-Henry_Ossawa_Tanner_-_The_Banjo_Lesson

220px-Henry_Ossawa_Tanner_-_The_Banjo_Lesson

Showcasing Tanner’s paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures, watercolors, and drawings, Henry Ossawa Tanner: Modern Spirit is being organized by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where the artist studied from 1879 to 1885, and will tour to the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

“Henry O. Tanner is a transcendent figure both in art and in the history of America," remarks Harry Philbrick, Edna S. Tuttleman Director of the Museum. "His compelling story and rich body of work will make for a superb national traveling exhibition."

Henry Ossawa Tanner: Modern Spirit will delve into the life and career of Henry O. Tanner from his upbringing in Philadelphia in the years after the Civil War; through the artist’s training at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; his success as an American artist at the highest levels of the international art world at the turn of the 20th century; his role as an elected leader of an artist’s colony in rural France; his unique contributions in aid of servicemen during World War I through the Red Cross in France; his modernist invigoration of religious painting deeply rooted in his own faith; and Tanner’s depiction of the Holy Land and North Africa. The exhibition will also present the first scientific and technical analysis of his artistic materials and methods.

“This exhibition will allow visitors to walk alongside Tanner as he explored the world, leaving Philadelphia for the mountains of North Carolina and bustling Reconstruction-era Atlanta, to the bright lights of Paris and the exotic and spiritual landscapes of Palestine and Egypt,” says Anna O. Marley, PAFA’s Curator of Historical American Art. “Henry Ossawa Tanner: Modern Spirit reveals the artist as a talented modern man whose training, intelligence and faith equipped him to surmount the difficult realities of his time and propelled him into a lifetime journey of personal and artistic discovery.”

The most substantial scholarly catalogue to date on Tanner’s life and work will accompany the exhibition. This book includes 14 essays written by established and emerging scholars from the United States and France, and is being published by University of California Press.

Additionally, the first-ever children’s book about Henry O. Tanner will be published by PAFA and Bunker Hill Press. Written and illustrated by the renowned artist-author Faith Ringgold, this publication will inspire generations of young people through the extraordinary accomplishments of Tanner.

"PAFA is proud to have contributed to Tanner's artistic training, that it maintained a mutually productive relationship with the artist throughout his life, and that we are now able to introduce his inspirational accomplishments to a new generation of viewers," says David R. Brigham, PAFA’s President & CEO.

After premiering at PAFA, the show will travel to the Cincinnati Art Museum, from May 26 - September 9, 2012, and the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, from October 14, 2012 - January 6, 2013. Curator of the exhibition, Anna Marley, is currently co-organizing a scholarly symposium on Tanner and African American Art in France, to be held at the Musée d’Orsay, November 9-10, 2011. Exciting education and community events will occur at PAFA throughout the run of the exhibition, including a Community and Scholars Day, March 4-5, 2012, and free admission on Sundays while the exhibition is on view.

Source: ArtDialy.org

Trinidad and Tobago International Conference on The Steelpan

Thursday, 20 June 2013 00:38

PanTrinbago will be hosting an International Conference on the Steelpan from May 6^th – 8^th 2012. As part of the celebrations of our 50^th year as an independent nation, this conference will create a single forum for exposition and engagement with diverse lines of action and inquiry around our national instrument.

The theme of the conference, Pan Globalization: Progress and Possibilities, provides a unique opportunity for musicians, academics, entrepreneurs, trade and tourism representatives and pan aficionados from across the globe to share experiences, perspectives and ideas on the steelpan. In addition to showcasing best practices in a variety of spheres of pan performance, management and development, the conference programme is designed to generate rich and synergistic discourses that will inform and shape the globalization of the steelpan in the 21^st century.

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Call for Reminiscenes of Roberto Clemente: Transnational Hero

Thursday, 20 June 2013 00:38

While December 31^st, 2012 will mark the 40^th anniversary of Roberto Clemente’s tragic death, his legacy continues to grow. Without fail, each year there is a new book, documentary, web site or other commemoration of this fallen son of Puerto Rico. Clemente’s role as a hero both in Puerto Rico and the United States may, however, may be the most important facet of his legacy. Central to his status as a national hero in both countries, are the profoundly touching personal stories about Clemente that transcend time and space. Many of these accounts are about brief meetings with Clemente, others about seeing him play or speak, still others happen after his death. All, however, suggest that Clemente is a transcendent and transnational hero who remains one of the most important symbols of Puerto Rican and United States identity.

As part of my work on Clemente’s importance to both countries, I am collecting stories about him from anyone who is willing to share their personal reminiscence. I want to include a wide range of these narratives in my essay, with the narrator’s permission, as part of my discussion of Clemente as a transnational Puerto Rican hero.

Since most of the stories I have been told about Clemente have been through conversations, I would welcome the opportunity to talk with individuals one on one by phone but I am also more than happy to accept written accounts. All reminiscences are welcome; there is no limit on length or focus. I ask only that you tell me why this connection to Clemente is important for you. I will be gathering stories until the 20^th of January and will send a final copy of my essay to all who contribute. You can send me your story or inquiry by email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Source: Repeating Islands

St Lucia Names Lorne Theophilus the New Minister of Tourism

Thursday, 20 June 2013 00:38

lorne_st_lu

Lorne Theophilus, has been appointed as St. Lucia’s new minister of tourism, following recent elections and a change of party rule. A prominent attorney, he succeeds Allen Chastanet, who is expected to stay involved with St. Lucia tourism.

"Right now, Chastanet is out, but I know he will be involved in some way somewhere in the future," says Lorine Charles-St. Jules, regional marketing manager for the St. Lucia Tourist Board.

Chastanet also served as chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization for a two-year term, a post now held by Ricky Skerritt, minister of tourism for St. Kitts.

Kingston's Masterful Music Mural

Thursday, 20 June 2013 00:38

A snapshot of Jamaica's music history is captured in a mural which now brightens the section of Water Lane, near its intersection with East Street, in downtown Kingston. The mural is on the building which is provides a temporary house to the recently opened music museum. The museum is being housed in a building owned by the Institute of Jamaica on Water Lane in the heart of the city until a permanent home is found.

Months ago, the curator and director of the Jamaica Music Museum, Herbert 'Herbie' Miller, told The Gleaner the idea of a music museum was to collect, preserve and exhibit information on the country's music history. Miller reported then that the expansive mural was being created by a group of youngsters.

Source: Jamaica Gleaner

Kilimanjaro International Airport to Get Funding from the Netherlands

Thursday, 20 June 2013 00:38

Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) is set to get a 57.5bn/- facelift after receiving funds from the Netherlands. The government and the Netherlands on November 23, 2011 signed a grant agreement for the rehabilitation of KIA that will be overseen by the Kilimanjaro Airports Development Company (KADCO).

A statement released by the KADCO CEO, Marco Van de Kreeke, on Thursday said during the renovation project, the runway, taxiways and aprons of the airport will be overhauled and resurfaced. “A new taxiway will be built to increase the capacity of the airport and the terminal building will be upgraded and expanded. The rehabilitation of KIA has been an important goal since the airport’s privatization,” Van de Kreeke said.

He said traffic at KIA has risen from 200,000 passengers in 2002 to an expected 650,000 in 2011, adding that KADCO management is negotiating with a number of international flag carriers to open new routes to KIA.

“With this grant from the Dutch Government, KIA will get the necessary expansion and facelift to accommodate international traffic in the next decade”, he said. He said in the design phase, the Netherlands Airport Consultants (NACO) under KADCO’s supervision will prepare the designs for the renovation and expansion of the airport.

He noted that once the Development Phase is completed and the design is approved, the Dutch Government will provide a second grant to cover 50 per cent of the cost of the actual rehabilitation and the rest is to be financed by KADCO through the airport’s revenue.

Source: Tanzania Daily News

African Airline Association Secretary General Wants Profits from Africa's Growth

Thursday, 20 June 2013 00:38

African Airline Association's (Afraa) Secretary General Elijah Chingosho noted in a recent three-day General Assembly that cost of travel from Africa is still very high compared to other regions of the world. Africa has been asked to review the “complex” structure of its taxes and fees imposed by service providers to enable airlines in the continent exploit the existing growth potential.

Secretary Chingosho said that the impact of high charges should be examined in light of Africa’s huge potential for growth of air transport, which by all indications is becoming one of the fastest growing regions in terms of air traffic.

It is believed that the duties in Africa are relatively higher in comparison to other regions and particularly when seen in light of the level of infrastructure and services available. For instance, it is estimated that it costs 18.5 US cents per Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPK) to travel in Africa as compared to 15.5 US cents in Asia, 12.3 cents in Europe and 11.0 cents in North America.

RPK is a measure of passenger’s sales volume, which can be obtained by multiplying the number of revenue passengers carried on a flight by the distance traveled by each passenger. Industry leaders who concluded their 43rd Annual General Assembly and conference in Southern Morocco last week heard that the “excessive” charges imposed on the airlines operating in the continent and their passengers, with experts saying this has impeded airlines from realising their full potential.

Afraa's, Secretary General of African Elijah Chingosho noted that cost of travel from Africa is still very high compared to other regions of the world. He said high intra-Africa and intercontinental airfares are mainly attributed to high airport taxes and fees coupled with high fuel, insurance, aircraft financing and leasing charges experienced in the region.

“This is stifling development of air transport and compounding the many difficulties that African airlines have to surmount to be competitive and profitable,” he said.

New partnerships

Opening the three-day General Assembly on behalf of the Minister of Transport of the Kingdom of Morocco, the Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Kingdom of Morocco, Abdennebi Manar, challenged African airlines to open up their markets and brace themselves for competition.

He called upon industry stakeholders in Africa to work together and seek partnerships with each other to broaden their network as well so as to mop up traffic to compete with operators from other regions.

During the meeting the Chief Executive Officer of Air Mali Mr Abderahmane BerthÈ was elected President of Association and host of the 2012 Afraa Annual General Assembly.

Welcoming delegates to the meeting, the President of AFRAA and Chairman of Royal Air Maroc, Driss Benhima, noted that air transport liberalisation is good for the continent but cautioned it can pose serious survival challenges to local airlines ill-prepared to compete in a liberalised market. He said Morocco last year attained its target of 10 million tourist arrivals due largely to the open skies agreement with the EU.

Source: In to East Africa, The Standard

Golf Tourism Gains Prominence in Kenya

Thursday, 20 June 2013 00:38

Phtoto: Rift Vally Golf Resort Kenya

Kenya is gaining prominence as a golf tourism destination. The journey to popularity began after the country was declared the “Best Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year 2008″ by the International Association of the Golf Tour Operators. Naivasha’s place in the industry has been cemented over time and a planned new Golf Resort only goes further to enhance this.

“We have already established a tripartite golf marketing structure comprising a partnership between the Ministry of Tourism, Kenya Tourist Board and the Kenya Golf Marketing Alliance,” said the Tourims Minister Najib Balala during the launch of the Aberdare Hills Golf Resort.

The resort by the Panda Development Company is touted as East Africa’s premier, jostling with the Vipingo Ridge at the coast that has also set the bar high as far as the development of the sector is concerned. The 36 holes golf course Aberdare Hills Golf resort were designed by world-renowned golf course designer, David Jones.

Balala said the concept of combining real estate and tourism is fast gaining currency in the world of tourism. “This is not any other Golf Estate; it is a great location that promotes a happy, healthy and long life in tranquillity,” said Dr Pritam Singh Panesar the Managing Director of Panda Development Company.

The real estate and hospitality industries have been on a robust growth trend with several luxury resorts already in progress in various parts of the country and more in their planning stages.

Source: In to East Africa, The Journey