ULTIMATE
AFRICA SAFARIS
Ultimate Africa travel and wildlife news archive September 1997 Hotels Close after Deadly Kenyan Attacks, September 7 1997 A fortnight of violence in the coastal districts of Kenya dealt another serious blow to the tourism industry with the closure last week of two tourist hotels. Two Italian companies closed their hotels in Malindi, a key resort town in the prime holiday circuit on the coast which attracts most of the 770,000-plus visitors to Kenya each year. Ventag Lia Group closed the 200-bed Temple Point on August 27 after all its club guests left and there were no new bookings owing to massive cancellations by jittery Italian holiday makers. Most of the workers were sent on leave. The 150-bed Jambo Village, which operates as a club (all inclusive), was similarly closed by the Italian proprietors, Beach Oasis Ltd. Cancellations of foreign tourism bookings are put at between 30 and 60 per cent or more. Cancellations were being fueled by negative publicity in the foreign press such as "Tourists flee to the airport under a hail of bullets," the headline on a story in a Swiss newspaper and a story headlined "Now snipers target airport" in a Scottish newspaper. The worst affected tourist market source was Italy while the British appeared to have reacted calmly. At least 5,000 tourists arrive in Mombasa weekly during this season but the number has fallen in some estimates by up to 60 per cent. Dry Weather Predicted for Southern Africa, September 7 1997 Most of Southern Africa is expected to be warm and dry from November to January, a regional forecast said. Areas which are predicted to be very dry include western Zambia and the eastern half of South Africa, Professor Mark Jury of the University of Zululand said in his climate impact predictions. Zimbabwe is also predicted to be to be relatively dry, and maize yield in central South Africa is predicted to be below normal, said Jury. With fears of an El Nino induced drought hovering over the Southern African Region, he said northern Zambia could receive near normal rainfall. Water resources are adequate over much of Southern Africa, but the potential for early summer drought favors some conservation measures, Jury predicted. Zimbabwe is expected to receive 57 percent below normal rainfall. Elephants Threatened by Massive Fire in Namibia, September 7 1997 Thousands of elephants are trapped in a vast area of West Caprivi between Namibia and Botswana, where a fire has blazed for 12 days and the authorities are helpless to stop it. The fire has destroyed close to 40 000 hectares of vegetation and triggered an exodus of hundreds of elephants towards Botswana, according to reports from the region. A Kxoe elder said he had never seen anything like the current fire in his entire life. Sunday Flights for Mozambican Islands, September 7 1997 Honeymooners will no longer have to suffer the inconvenience of Friday and Tuesday flights to the Bazaruto islands off the coast of Mozambique. Air Metavia will be introducing a Sunday flight to and from the Bazaruto islands as of 5 October 1997. The flight will be direct from Johannesburg to Vilanculos via Nelspruit (at present). Uganda Plans to Reinstate Visas for Foreigners, September 14 1997 The Ugandan Government is to reinstate visa entry requirements for foreigners from developed countries visiting Uganda. Violence Slashes Kenya's Tourism by Half, September 14 1997 According to Kenyan officials the recent violence in Mombasa and Malindi, Kenya's tourism hub on the Indian Ocean coast, has reduced the country's tourism by 50 percent. No one is expressing optimism on new bookings for Kenya, yet no tourist has been harmed in the recent disturbances among the local people. Air Zimbabwe Plans To Increase Flights To London, September 14 1997 Air Zimbabwe has reached an agreement with two regional airlines to increase its weekly flights to London. In an interview on Saturday, September 13, Air Zimbabwe public relations manager, David Mwenga, said a tentative agreement had been reached with Aero-Zambia, whereby Air Zimbabwe would introduce a fifth flight to London via Lusaka. The additional flight to begin at the end of October, would leave Harare on Thursdays and return on Fridays. Mwenga said an agreement with Air Malawi, expected to take effect in February or March next year, would see Air Zimbabwe fly to London via Lilongwe on Tuesdays, making it the sixth weekly flight to the destination. Meanwhile, Mwenga said his airline would soon discontinue its weekly flights between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls due to viability problems. Return to Weekly Update Archive |
