Travel and Tourism in Africa and the Caribbean

[New Era]The Namibian Tourism Board (NTB) is exhausting all avenues in an attempt to diversify the country's traditional tourism market, and is currently exhibiting at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AllAfrica)

[WEF]Geneva -Economic diversification is essential for African economies to build buffers against vulnerability in a volatile world, panellists told a World Economic Forum on Africa session on Africa's economic outlook. (AllAfrica)

[The Point]As part from promoting African culture and tourism in The Gambia, one of the best tourist attractions in the country is Mama Africa Museum, which is contributing a lot to promoting African culture as well as tourism. (AllAfrica)

[The Herald]The perimeter fence around the Great Zimbabwe monuments has been vandalised, a situation that has raised fears that World Heritage Site might be compromised owing to poor security. Large parts of the perimeter fence were destroyed around the monuments resulting in livestock such as cattle freely roaming into the historic site while fire outbreaks had also considerably increased. (AllAfrica)

[New Vision]THE director of the International Police in Uganda, Asan Kasingye, said they are investigating circumstances under which musician Iryn Namubiru went through Entebbe Airport and flew to Japan with illicit drugs. (AllAfrica)

[The Point]The contribution of tourism industry to nation-building is immense and makes the sector very vital to the socioeconomic development of the country. (AllAfrica)

[The Herald]WITH the clock ticking away slowly towards the first ever hosting of the world's biggest tourism event in Zimbabwe, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly (August 24-29 2013), the tourism and hospitality industry in Victoria Falls has gone full swing in its preparations. (AllAfrica)

[Daily Trust]President Goodluck Jonathan has called on African leaders to pay full attention to the economic emancipation of their nations. Addressing the South African Parliament in Cape Town during his state visit, Jonathan said having successfully liberated the continent from colonialism, racism and apartheid, African leaders now ought to make strong economies and strengthen democratic governance. (AllAfrica)

[Times of Zambia]WHEN one mentions the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly to be co-hosted by Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Victoria Falls and wildlife is what comes first into their mind. (AllAfrica)

[Times of Zambia]All in a one day tour, Embassies from more than seventy (70) countries from Africa, Oceania, the Middle East and the Americas, participated in the sixth annual cultural tourism event dubbed "Passport DC - Around the World Embassy Tour" in Washington DC on May 4, 2013. (AllAfrica)

[The Herald]The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Board has appointed a substantive director-general. (AllAfrica)

[Daily Observer]The permanent secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Culture has challenged tourism establishments in the industry to employ smart and excellent service providers that are trained to please the customers in order to win the confidence of their guests. (AllAfrica)

[Ghanaian Chronicle]Tourism according to Mathieson and Wall (1982:1) refers to "the temporary movement to destinations outside the normal home and workplace, the activities under taken during the stay and the activities created to cater for the needs of the tourists." It comprises the activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business or other purposes (WTO, 1999). In 2010, receipts from the Tourism industry amounted to over 1. (AllAfrica)

[The Star]Kenya Tourism Board now has drive to sell Kenya after the peaceful elections. The first stop is at tourism fairs to be held in Durban, South Africa and the Middle East next week. MD Muriithi Ndegwa says the exhibitions will be a platform to sell Kenya as an alternative destination for water sports, birding, culture in addition to wildlife, safari and beach. (AllAfrica)

[Addis Fortune]The long awaited standards and requirements for hotels, restaurants, lodges and motels will be implemented within the coming three months. (AllAfrica)

[SA Govt]Today, Western Cape Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Alan Winde, is heading to Durban to lead the Western Cape delegation at one of Africa's biggest travel exhibitions, the annual Tourism Indaba. (AllAfrica)

[ANGOP]Luanda -The Republic of Angola is participating for the first time in Cuba's International Tourism Traded Fair (FITCUBA), happening on 7-11 May at Varadero, with a multi-sector delegation led by the minister of Tourism and Hotels, Pedro Mutindi, ANGOP learnt. (AllAfrica)

[Daily Trust]An aircraft belonging to Nigerian Air Force today crash landed at the air force base Port Harcourt. Passengers on board the aircraft including the pilot were rescued before the plane burst into flames. (AllAfrica)

[Tunis Afrique Presse]Tunis -Some 572,000 visitors came in Tunisia, last April including 71,510 Tunisian expatriates and 59,343 cruse passengers. (AllAfrica)

[SA Info]South Africa's heritage and cultural stories will take the spotlight with the debut of the South Africa Heritage and Culture Pavilion at the 2013 Tourism Indaba, taking place in Durban from Saturday to Tuesday. (AllAfrica)

[New Times]Authorities in the Eastern Province have embarked on a long term plan to diversify the tourism industry, which brings badly needed foreign exchange into the country. (AllAfrica)

[The Star]A key investor in the hospitality industry wants the government to increase categories of hotel items exempt from value added tax to boost local tourism. (AllAfrica)

[Premium Times]The Nigerian Export Import Bank, NEXIM, and the Export Development Canada, EDC, are exploring the prospects of a partnership to provide short term financing to Nigeria's aviation sector. (AllAfrica)

[The Herald]TOURISM and Hospitality Minister Walter Mzembi says Visa regimes in African countries pose the biggest threat to the growth of tourism. (AllAfrica)

[Daily News]"We call them nests. They call them houses. I call them hanging houses." One would admire birds' creativity by seeing them busy flying to and fro, bringing food to their young or carrying leaves for building their settlement. (AllAfrica)

[Premium Times]The FEC will deliberate on the revised National Civil Aviation Policy amongst other memos to be presented. (AllAfrica)

[EA Business]Dar es Salaam, Tanzania -Tanzania has introduced night viewing in Lake Manyara National Park to attract more tourists. (AllAfrica)

[Capital FM]Nairobi -Kenya is among about 15,000 exhibitors showcasing tourism products at fairs to be held in Durban, South Africa and the Middle East next week. (AllAfrica)

[Namibian]THE planned N$57 million renovation work at Namibia Wildlife Resort's Hardap camp outside Mariental will be shelved until next year. (AllAfrica)

[State Department]The United States is increasingly popular with international visitors. They spent $14.4 billion in March, up 5 percent from March 2012. (AllAfrica)

[Times of Zambia]THE Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) has implored local and foreign investors to take advantage of various incentives in tourism to explore the massive potential and exploit it. (AllAfrica)