TOURISM

Gaborone, Botswana | AFP | Nine elephants were electrocuted in a freak accident in Botswana after one of them knocked into an electricity pole and the high-voltage power line fell on them, a local official said Tuesday. The herd is believed to have broken out of the northeastern Makgadikgadi Pans Game …

THIS WEEK: Kenya Airways now to fly to US Kenya | THE INDEPENDENT | Kenya’s national carrier, Kenya Airways, can now fly to the United States after it was granted permit to operate direct flights. The permit became effective Se 05, according to the order issued by the US Department …

Montreal, Canada | AFP | Half of the vertebrate populations in Canada are in staggering decline, despite the country’s vast outback, according to a WWF report Thursday that highlighted threats to beluga whales and caribou. The World Wildlife Fund in its Living Planet Report pointed to 451 shrinking animal populations out …

Rwanda Development Board (RDB) on Sept.01 held the annual gorilla naming ceremony at Kinigi in Musanze District, northern Rwanda. This year marks the 13th edition of the annual flagship event, locally known as Kwita Izina. It is the flagship of Rwanda’s conservation efforts and brings together conservation enthusiasts from all …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The 3rd edition of the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat organised Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki Utamaduni Festival (JAMAFEST) entered day two Sunday, with the highlight being the official opening of the culural festival by Uganda Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda. The main objective of the …

Kigali, Rwanda | THIS WEEK |  In an effort to promote Rwanda as a conference hub, a South African firm, Crystal Events Africa,  has entered into an   agreement with Ikaze Professional Conference Organisers  to market the east African country as a top conferences centre and must-visit tourist destination on the continent. “The …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Motorists heading to the city Saturday have been caught up in traffic for hours as it turns out Kampala Road has been sealed off for the opening day of the Jumiya ya Afrika Mashariki Utamaduni (JAMAFEST) festival. The number of motorists stuck on roads …

Madrid, Spain | AFP |  International tourist numbers grew 6.4 percent in the first half of 2017, the  strongest half-year figures in seven years, with Mediterranean destinations posting double-digit growth, the UN World Tourism Organisation said Thursday. The number of international tourists surged to around 598 million between January and …

Kigali, Rwanda | THE INDEPENDENT | Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame on Aug.29 called on African economies to provide favorable environment that would boost the growth of tourism industry on the continent. He was speaking at the official opening of the 41st Annual World Tourism Conference that kicked off on Aug.28 in Rwanda’s capital …

PICTORIAL #KwitaIzina2017: Kwita Izina, gorilla-naming celebration Kigali, RWANDA | RDB | Thousands came together in Musanze District- Kinigi to celebrate Rwanda‘s success in conserving mountain gorillas at the 13th Kwita Izina ceremony on September 1. This year, 19 baby gorillas were named under the theme “Conservation and sustainable tourism – a foundation for future generations” adding to the 239 …