Ethiopian adds new destinations in South Africa and Botswana

Ethiopian Airlines, the largest airline in Africa, is pleased to announce that it has started flights to Cape Town, 2nd destination in South Africa and Gaborone, Botswana on 30 June 2015.

Cape Town is South Africa's second city and one of the main tourism destinations in Africa. Gaborone is the political capital and economic center of Botswana.

The new services will offer passengers more choice and flexibility, as well as facilitate trade, investment, and tourism ties between Ethiopia and these two countries.

Ethiopian Group CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, said: "As a Pan-African airline working to bring Africa together and closer to the world, we are very pleased to spread our wings to Cape Town and Gaborone. Our new flights to Cape Town and Gaborone will give our customers more and convenient connectivity options when traveling within, to and from the continent. We will continue to expand our reach in our home market in Africa with a view to support to the continent's socio-economic integration and development"

Ethiopian is a global Pan-African carrier currently serving 85 international destinations across 5 continents with over 200 daily flights using the latest technology aircraft such as the B777s and B787s Dreamliner. Cape Town and Gaborone will be the airline's 50th & 51st African destination respectively.

Source: Ethiopian adds new destinations in South Africa and Botswana

South Africa focuses on East African market to grow tourist numbers

Evelyn Mahlaba is the South African Tourism Regional Director for Africa

The agency charged with marketing South Africa as a tourist destination is set to open an office in Nairobi, which will act as a marketing hub in the region.

South African Tourism (SAT) will set up the office in its current financial year, which ends in March 2016. Evelyn Mahlaba, SAT's regional director for Africa, revealed this while addressing attendants during a workshop at a local hotel last week.

The move is meant to help grow the number of visitors from the continent visiting South Africa.

Mahlaba assured that her agency is in constant communication with the concerned Government ministries to chart a way forward over contentious visa requirements that have troubled visitors to SA before. "We continuously engage with the Home Affairs department. Dialogue is continuing and we hope to reach a solution," she said.

Commenting on the xenophobic violence that rocked sections of South Africa, she said the country should not be judged by the actions of a few.

product vendors

This was the first time the agency was participating in the workshops, which also attracted product vendors from the rest of the continent.

"SA Tourism has been successful in marketing South Africa to countries on the rest of continent. Growth from East Africa, and in particular Uganda and Kenya has seen a steady incline in recent years with the most recent arrivals indicating that in 2013, 35 605 and 17 182 tourists visited South Africa from Kenya and Uganda, representing a year on year growth of 7.9 per cent and 10.7 per cent for each market respectively," said Mahlaba.

"The true growth and potential of our tourism sector can only be realised if the same growth is happening in countries on the rest of the continent. For South Africa to grow and reach its potential, all of Africa must grow, because we are in Africa."

The agency has been supporting counterpart destinations in Africa by participating in their trade shows.

"Our participation at the Spotlight on East Africa workshops, and all the other trade shows we are preparing to take part in this year, is an outward show of investment and support for the continent's travel and tourism industry," explained Mahlaba.

"South Africa has had its fair share of challenges that have negatively affected our reputation as a people but also as a holiday destination thus making our job in particular rather strenuous. However, through it all, we have been humbled by the support of our counterparts who have continued to take part in our trade shows and tourists who have continued to visit our country," she said.

Source: South Africa focuses on East African market to grow tourist numbers

Brussels Airlines announces end of flights for this African tourist city

Friends of the famous "Savoir Vivre" in the air, which Brussels Airlines inherited from predecessor SABENA, will no doubt be disappointed about the news that the airline will cease operations to this popular tourist African city effective October 24 of this year.

An announcement by partner airline, Lufthansa, had some time ago excited Kenyans, when the German national airline said they would return to the Nairobi route, which has now been cut, after a long absence, thinking that the flights from Frankfurt would be over and above those of partners Swiss and Brussels Airlines.

Think again comes to mind as the return of Lufthansa clearly comes at the expense of Brussels Airlines which has obviously been told to make way for the senior partner, while Swiss reportedly will continue to fly between Zurich and Nairobi without cutbacks on their flights.

That puts the initial excitement about a capacity increase into Nairobi into a different light and no doubt not just the Belgian community in Kenya but also the faithful following SN had generated over the past 58 years since SABENA started flights to the Embakasi Airport, will be disappointed that company politics have taken its toll and the victim is Brussels Airlines.

Thankfully are there no indications at present that Lufthansa has similar schemes in place for Brussels Airlines' other East African destinations Entebbe, Kigali, and Bujumbura where the Belgian national airline is equally enjoying a large following.

Passengers from Belgium and beyond, who in the past traveled with Brussels Airlines to Nairobi, will now have to fly via Zurich on Swiss or via Frankfurt on Lufthansa, come the last week of October.

Pierre Declerk and his team in Nairobi sent out personal letters to each of their Kenyan clients on their database to transfer their business to Star Alliance partners Swiss and Lufthansa while thanking them for their faithful patronage since Brussels Airlines emerged from the ashes of SABENA.

The almost inevitable farewell party in four months' time will probably be a tearful affair, even though it is understood that some of the Brussels Airlines staff will be absorbed by Lufthansa when they open their airport and city offices in Nairobi.

Source: Brussels Airlines announces end of flights for this African tourist city

How safe is your holiday destination? Map of tourist hotspots with terror threat levels

That came on June 11, after Spain's security forces disrupted a number of groups who were recruiting people to travel to join terrorists in Syria and Iraq. It's government also believed they were plotting attacks across Europe.

Yesterday, the Spanish government lifted its own threat to a high rating following the attack in neighbouring France.

The murders in Tunisia also took place at a resort which has two hotels, both operated by Spanish firm RIU.

Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz said the decision was made due to the "proximity of our country to the places where some of these attacks took place".

He added: "I have adopted that decision. We are at war with barbarism against civilisation."

Spain and France join African nations Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt on a high level, while Libya - embroiled in civil war - is sandwiched in between.

Turkey, which neighbours war-town Syria, is another British tourist destination on the high alert.  

A number of other holiday hotspots are currently on a general threat level, meaning places frequented by tourists are at risk of terrorism.

These include Greece, which receives a million British visitors each year, as well as Italy and west Africa's Morocco.

Other popular destinations for Brits seeking sun have an underlying threat, meaning attacks are unlikely, include Croatia, Bulgaria and Portugal, which has over two million British visitors each year.

It comes as a number of travel companies have said they will offer those who are booked into holidays in Tunisia the chance to change their plans.

Thomas Cook, Cosmos Holidays, Monarch have all promised to allow tourists to amend their holidays.

The North African country is in the top 20 holiday hotspots for Brits, with nearly 500,000 travelling there each year.

Around 20,000 British tourists are there at the moment.

Source: How safe is your holiday destination? Map of tourist hotspots with terror threat levels

African ‘Economic Migrants’ Disappointed in France

Life's a bitch:

Against the odds, Hamed Kouyate has achieved his childhood dream of escaping African poverty and reaching the wealthy heart of Europe. But like many fellow migrants who endured a clandestine odyssey marked by toil and terror, the teenager now questions whether he's just gambled his life on a cruel illusion.

"Europe has no gold or diamonds for me. I've had to sleep rough and go without food for days since arriving in France. Nothing has been as I thought it would be," the 18-year-old says as he walks along the riverbank in the Parisian suburb of Creil, three years of travel and more than 5,000 meandering miles (8,000 kilometers) from his Ivory Coast home. "I regret leaving Africa. I would not recommend this route even to my worst enemy."

The "migrants" enter through the soft underbelly of Europe, via Italy, Greece or Serbia, and then, once inside the passport area, try to make their way to the richer countries of the north. Rather than turn them back, however, the Europeans re-settle them among the indigenous population.

European Union leaders have agreed to relocate 40,000 migrants from Italy and Greece to other EU countries over the next two years, in an effort to share the burden of a growing migrant crisis. EU President Donald Tusk said the agreement was reached after an overnight summit early Friday, to show "solidarity with frontline countries."

French President Francois Hollande said the EU will also resettle 20,000 refugees, "essentially from Syria and Iraq, who at this moment are in camps and who will be reinstalled in Europe." The migrant crisis has caused tensions among EU countries.

The AP has been tracking some of them:

Since January, The Associated Press has followed a 45-member group of West Africans as they traveled by foot and cramped smugglers' vehicles from Greece to Hungary via the Balkans. The route, accessed from a Turkey clogged with refugees fleeing Islamic State barbarism, is already the second-most popular way to gain illegal entry to the 28-nation European Union and its two biggest destinations: Germany and France. Unprecedented waves of Asian, Arab and African migrants are taking the slow, grueling route in preference to a sea crossing from North Africa, the quicker but reckless path to Italy. Thousands making that journey have drowned in the Mediterranean over the past year.

That trauma was all supposed to be worth it, the travelers kept telling themselves with each brutal setback. By April they finally reached Hungary, from which they could travel by jitney cabs and public transport links within the largely passport-free EU to Germany and France. The vast majority of the West Africans reached their destinations by May, having paid a series of Asian and African smugglers more than 5,000 euros ($5,500) to cover every link in the chain from Turkey to the EU's eastern frontier.

While Germany has proven to be comparatively generous to arrivals, France is posing a tougher test. Neither permits the asylum-seekers to work while their cases are under review, but Germany gives the newcomers often high-quality housing in bucolic suburban settings along with monthly payments in the low three figures. Kouyate, by contrast, says he has received a single 40 euro ($45) payment in France, where he has bounced from sofa to bedsit to park bench and back again.

This will not end well for anybody.

Source: African 'Economic Migrants' Disappointed in France

South African Airways long-haul turnaround continues with Accra-Washington launch & A340 extensions

© CAPA

South African Airways (SAA) is continuing attempts to turn around its long-haul operation by switching, in Aug-2015, the stopover point on some of its Washington Dulles flights from Dakar in Senegal to Accra in Ghana. SAA expects strong local demand for the new Accra-Washington leg compared to virtually no local demand for Dakar-Washington, which should result in a significant improvement in its US operation.

In Mar-2015 SAA made an initial two major steps in restructuring its long-haul network by suspending services to Beijing and Mumbai while launching services to Abu Dhabi as part of an enhanced partnership with Etihad. SAA's long-haul operation, which has been highly unprofitable in recent years, also has seen significant improvements due to lower fuel prices and lower aircraft leasing costs following the extension of A340 leases at lower rates.

But SAA still faces challenges as it tries to complete a difficult to achieve turnaround of its long-haul operation. SAA will need to ultimately acquire new generation widebody aircraft, which it has delayed multiple times. SAA will likely now keep at least a portion of its A340 fleet operating until at least 2020, a potentially risky decision should oil prices rise again.

SAA long-haul restructuring began with Beijing and Mumbai cuts

SAA began implementing a long delayed turnaround plan in early 2015, when it announced the suspension of thrice weekly services to Beijing and Mumbai from end Mar-2015. At the same time SAA launched daily services to Etihad's hub in Abu Dhabi, which SAA now uses to provide offline access to more than 30 cities including several in India.

See related report: South African Airways outlook brightens as recovery plan and partnership strategy roll out

Abu Dhabi is now one of nine long-haul destinations for SAA along with London Heathrow (double daily), Sao Paulo (10 times weekly), Frankfurt (daily), Hong Kong (daily), Munich (daily), New York JFK (daily), Perth (daily) and Washington Dulles (four times weekly via Dakar).

All nine of these routes along with Johannesburg-Lagos, a lucrative regional route, make up SAA's top 10 routes based on ASKs.

All of SAA's long-haul routes were previously unprofitable, prompting a review in early 2013. At the time a new strategic plan was developed which recommended four routes be cut entirely – Beijing, Buenos Aires, Mumbai, and Washington Dulles. While the South African government initially approved the cut of Buenos Aires, which was suspended in Mar-2014, there were long delays in approving other proposals and components of the new business plan.

Nearly two years after the plan was first drafted SAA was finally able to proceed with the long delayed restructuring in early 2015, including the cuts of Beijing and Mumbai. SAA has immediately noticed improvements to its bottom line, stating it recorded a 45% improvement in operating profits (at an EBITDA level) in Apr-2015 compared to Apr-2014. While lower fuel prices accounted for some of this improvement, a large portion of the improvement was driven by the suspension of the highly unprofitable Beijing and Mumbai flights.

SAA aims to be back in the black from FY2017

SAA expects a significant reduction in losses for the fiscal year ending 31-Mar-2016 (FY2016) and to be profitable again on an EBITA level in FY2017. The group has not been profitable since FY2011. The losses have been driven by the long-haul operation as SAA's regional international business has been consistently profitable while the domestic business also has been profitable during part of this period.

As CAPA previously outlined the long-haul operation (defined by SAA as all routes outside Africa) incurred annual losses of between ZAR1.3 billion and ZAR1.6 million in FY2012 through FY2014 (USD107 million and USD132 million based on current exchange rates). SAA has not yet reported financial figures for FY2015 but the long-haul operation continued to incur large losses and the group remained in the red despite a profitable domestic and regional international operation. CAPA will analyse the position and outlook of the SAA Group (including low-cost subsidiary Mango) in the domestic and regional markets, which faces increasing competition from LCCs, in a separate upcoming report. 

While SAA is hopeful it can continue to be profitable in the domestic and regional international markets the group clearly needs to complete the turnaround of its long-haul operation to meet its target of becoming profitable in FY2017. Dropping Beijing and Mumbai and launching Abu Dhabi, which SAA is now using as a hub for India and parts of Europe, is clearly a step in the right direction. But SAA also needs to improve its performance across its eight other long-haul routes, all of which have been unprofitable in recent years.

South African Airways to launch Accra-Washington service

SAA initially sought to cut Washington as the prospects of turning around Johannesburg-Dakar-Washington Dulles were viewed as slim to none. But SAA identified Johannesburg-Accra-Washington Dulles as a better alternative which had the potential of making its Dulles operation viable.

SAA was unable to previously change the stopover of its Dulles route to Accra as it lacked fifth freedom pick-up rights. South Africa was able to secure in May-2015 rights for Accra-Washington from Ghanaian authorities, enabling SAA to announce the launch of Accra-Washington from 3-Aug-2015.

Accra-Washington will be served four times weekly with A340-600s while Johannesburg-Accra will continue to be served daily. SAA now serves Johannesburg-Accra daily but with smaller A330-200s and occasional A340-300s.

SAA also has forged a codeshare with Africa World Airlines (AFA), which will provide feed in Accra from domestic destinations within Ghana and from Lagos in Nigeria. The feed will be relatively limited as Africa World is a small operator, with a network of only four domestic destinations including Accra and the one international destination.

SAA could benefit from other partnerships in Accra. But as Ghana is a much larger local market compared to Senegal, SAA should be able to make the new Dulles flight work with limited feed. The Dulles-Accra market has been un-served since Jul-2012, when United suspended services to Ghana after two years in the market.

Dakar-Washington to be maintained for the time being

At least for now SAA will also continue to operate Washington-Dakar-Johannesburg on a reduced thrice weekly schedule using A340-300s and A330-200s. But SAA, which has been operating four weekly flights on this route, varying between A340-300s and A330-200s depending on the time of year, could ultimately cut the route as the Dakar stop has never been profitable.

SAA clearly would like to serve Dulles daily as Washington is currently its only long-haul destination that is served less than daily. Daily via Accra would not be an option at this point because while SAA has the rights to serve Dulles-Accra daily it does not have the rights to increase Johannesburg-Accra beyond seven weekly flights. As Johannesburg-Accra is a large and lucrative local market having all its Accra flights continue onto Washington would have an unbearable impact on its local Johannesburg-Accra capacity.

The ideal scenario would probably be for South African authorities to convince Ghanaian authorities to increase entitlements on Johannesburg-Accra. But this will be challenging to secure even through the route is not served by a Ghanaian carrier.

For Washington-Dakar to be maintained over the long run SAA will likely need feed in Dakar from regional destinations in West Africa. The Dakar stop has not worked well for SAA since a codeshare partnership ended with now defunct flag carrier Air Senegal International several years ago.

SAA looked in 2013 and early 2014 at establishing a West Africa hub in Dakar as part of a potential investment in Senegal Airlines. But SAA ruled out Dakar and determined a hub in Ghana had more potential.

See related report: South African Airways pursues more growth in Africa including potential Ghana JV: SAA Part 3

Even a standalone Johannesburg-Dakar route may not be viable without feed as the local Senegal-South Africa market is relatively limited. Johannesburg-Dakar is an eight hour flight, ruling out the potential of using a smaller narrowbody aircraft on a turnaround basis.

SAA has been impacted at Dulles by United reductions

The other option is to have Dulles served non-stop from Johannesburg for at least some of the frequencies. But the A340-600 would be required for a non-stop flight, which SAA views as too large for the local market.

SAA also has determined that it lacks the feed in Washington to support a possible non-stop flight. SAA's performance in the Dulles market has been impacted by a 25% reduction in capacity at Dulles over the last two years by Star Alliance partner United. At the same time access to decently priced domestic seats at Dulles has become more difficult.

Foreign carriers have generally seen availability of domestic feed in the US shrink as domestic load factors have increased and US alliance members have focused on their sales channels and their joint venture partners, leaving other alliance members with limited access. As a result foreign carriers have increasingly relied on non-alliance members such as JetBlue.

SAA has a codeshare with JetBlue, which it uses to feed its New York JFK flights. Dulles is now primarily an end destination for SAA and SAA expects to continue to focus mainly on the local market, boosted by demand for the new Dulles-Accra leg.

SAA transitions New York service to entirely non-stop

New York is now served non-stop on a year-round basis, opening up one-stop connections from Johannesburg to destinations throughout the US via JetBlue while similar connections via Dulles (if available) are a less convenient two stops.

In recent years the flight from Johannesburg to New York was stopping in Dakar during the winter months. But SAA saw limited demand for Dakar-New York and as part of the recent restructuring of its long-haul network eliminated the Dakar stop despite the payload restrictions on Johannesburg-New York non-stops. The last one-stop flight was operated in early Mar-2015.

SAA concluded the premium demand for Johannesburg-New York non-stops was worth the extra cost associated with not being able to fill up the A340-600 passenger cabin to maximum capacity and restrict belly cargo. New York is a big premium market and corporate passengers did not like the Dakar stop. Demand during the northern winter is also lower than the summer months, which meant SAA generally was unable to fill up the aircraft out of New York anyway.

SAA's long-haul performance boosted as A340 leases are renegotiated

SAA also has seen a significant improvement to New York and its five unchanged long-haul routes – Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Munich, Perth and Sao Paulo – from lower fuel prices and aircraft rental costs. SAA renegotiated and extended leases on some of its A340s in early 2015, taking advantage of new much lower rates. SAA is now in the process of renegotiating the leases on more A340s.

The A340 is currently used on all long-haul routes except Abu Dhabi and some of the London frequencies which use the A330-200. In Europe, the London route has been accumulating large losses (approximately USD30 million per year) while Frankfurt and Munich have been performing much better.

London has been impacted by aggressive competition, particularly from the Gulf carriers, while competition in the South Africa-Germany market is considered less intense. The Gulf carriers serve Germany but the bilateral constraints which have been maintained by German authorities mean there are fewer available seats to Germany than other destinations including the UK. Emirates now has about 52,000 weekly seats in the German market compared to about 36,000 weekly seats in the South African market although the South African market is about one-tenth the overall size.

SAA faces intense competition from Gulf airlines

Combined the three Gulf carriers and Turkish Airlines now have 83 weekly flights to South Africa. This will increase to 90 weekly flights in late Oct-2015 following the launch of a second daily flight to South Africa from Turkish. In comparison the entire SAA long-haul operation consists of only 70 weekly flights, increasing to 73 as Accra-Dulles is launched in Aug-2015.

London is by far the most common one-stop destination for the Gulf carriers and Turkish. Emirates alone has about a 20% share of the South Africa-London market. SAA also competes against two other non-stop operators, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. BA currently operates four daily flights to South Africa while Virgin Atlantic operates one daily flight.

Emirates is currently the largest airline in South Africa's long-haul market, slightly ahead of SAA based on current seat capacity. BA is the third largest while Qatar and Virgin Atlantic also make the top 10. Turkish will break into the top 10 in Nov-2015 while Etihad is smaller (currently number 14) but has a partnership with SAA.

Rank Airline Total Seats 1 EK Emirates 36,358 2 SA South African Airways 33,427 3 BA British Airways 15,440 4 KL KLM Royal Dutch Airlines 7,632 5 AF Air France 7,518 6 LH Lufthansa 7,350 7 QR Qatar Airways 6,812 8 QF Qantas Airways 5,026 9 VS Virgin Atlantic Airways 4,424 10 SQ Singapore Airlines 4,088 18 CX Cathay Pacific* 3,948 London route performance impacted by continued lack of premium economy product

The reduction in leasing costs particularly helps the performance of the London route as both of SAA's London flights sit at Heathrow all day, resulting in low utilisation. London-South Africa is traditionally a low utilisation route as passengers strongly prefer night flights in both directions.

SAA also has been looking at introducing premium economy on its widebody fleet, which would enable it to compete more effectively against BA and Virgin in the Johannesburg-London corporate and upmarket leisure sectors. As CAPA wrote in Jun-2014: "SAA has concluded it needs new widebody aircraft and a three-class cabin that includes business, premium economy and standard economy in order for the London route to become profitable."

See related report: South African Airways premium economy product to be part of its long-haul restructuring

But SAA has since again delayed its evaluation of new widebody aircraft, making it unlikely the flag carrier will renew its long-haul fleet in the near to medium term. As a result SAA is now studying potential retrofits to its existing long-haul fleet to incorporate premium economy. But SAA most likely will determine the cost is prohibitive when factoring in the price of new equipment which may only be used a few years and the cost of aircraft downtime which would be needed to facilitate reconfigurations.

One potential option would be to retrofit only four aircraft, which would be sufficient to cover the double daily London flights. But SAA believes it needs to have a standard product across its long-haul network and would therefore need to retrofit its entire widebody fleet of 23 aircraft. This would be a massive and costly undertaking, particularly as SAA is still unsure when the current fleet will be replaced.

SAA may not replace A340s until next decade

SAA has had widebody renewal as a key component of its business plan for several years, including the new strategic plan that was developed in early 2013. But SAA has repeatedly delayed the acquisition of new widebody aircraft due primarily to setbacks in securing the required approvals from its government shareholder. Most recently there were evaluations and tenders in 2012 and again in 2014.

A decision on new widebody aircraft is again on the backburner until at least 2016. While most elements of the strategic plan from two years are now finally being implemented the fleet component remains a major exception.

SAA expects it now may not phase out its A340s until 2020 or 2021, which gives it the opportunity to consider the 777X and A350-1000. Earlier evaluations focused on the 787 and smaller version of the A350, including a 2012 evaluation which resulted in the recommendation to purchase about 30 A350s. (The SAA board never approved or endorsed this recommendation).

SAA is still looking at potentially acquiring 10 787s, A350-900s or current variants of the 777 with a potential selection in 2016 and deliveries well before 2020. But this acquisition would meet only part of its widebody fleet requirement and would not enable it to phase out its entire A340 fleet.

SAA's widebody fleet currently consists of six A330-200s, eight A340-300s and nine A340-600s. The A340 fleet is on average 12 years old while the A330s are only four years old, according to the CAPA Fleet Database. But the A330s were initially acquired as interim aircraft and were therefore leased rather than purchased, giving SAA the flexibility to replace both its A330s and A340s with new generation aircraft..

SAA's A340-600s are configured with 42 business class and 275 economy seats while its A340-300s are configured with 38 business class and 216 economy class seats. SAA's A330-200s are configured with 36 business class and 186 economy class seats. All the long-haul business class cabins feature lie-flat seats.

Widebody fleet questions need to be resolved sooner rather than later

SAA needs to come up with a new definitive widebody fleet plan as soon as possible. Even if it decides to wait for the A350-1000 or 777X it needs to act quickly to secure early delivery slots. SAA cannot afford to continue to delay the renewal of its widebody fleet.

Securing the required approvals is a tedious and daunting process but the government should eventually recognise that a solution needs to be pursued once and for all. The government-SAA relationship is still seriously strained with the constant threat of intervention but seems to have improved with support for the current SAA recovery plan, including the letting go of highly unprofitable routes.

Waiting until 2020 or 2021 to replace the A340 fleet could backfire if fuel prices spike again. Five or six years seems like a long time considering the renewal of SAA's new generation widebody is already long overdue.

Ultimately SAA's aspirations for turning the corner will likely hinge on fuel costs. A return of higher fuel prices would make it difficult for the long-haul operation to become profitable until the widebody fleet is renewed. But given SAA's current long-haul position, which remains challenging despite the recent network changes, it may be worth the gamble.

Part II:

In the second part in this series of reports on SAA, CAPA will analyse the position and outlook of the SAA Group (including low-cost subsidiary Mango) in the domestic and regional markets, where SAA faces increasing competition from LCCs. A third part will look at SAA's evolving partnership strategy.

Want more analysis like this? CAPA Membership gives you access to all news and analysis on the site, along with access to many areas of our comprehensive databases and toolsets.Find out more and take a free trial.

Source: South African Airways long-haul turnaround continues with Accra-Washington launch & A340 extensions

R2Bees interest in music sinking gradually

 With the level of brilliance and uniqueness Tema based music group, R2Bees creates music when Paedae & Mugeez decides to get in the booth, and one wonders what have been keeping the duo busy.

Did they suddenly fall at the nemesis side of the popular statement 'getting to the top isn't the problem but maintaining it'?

I pray not so but a few elements over the past two years fairly allows one to assess if the once crowned 'Artiste Of The year' at the Ghana Music Awards & BET 'Best International Act: Africa' nominees are 'titanic' like sinking while we all watch on.

Let's start from the number of songs they have released over the last 2years which surprisingly amounts to only two mainstream singles till date, being 'Lobi' & 'Makoma'. I mean we all know how great their album 'Da Revolution II' (released in march 2013) did and it baffles one as to why R2Bees haven't followed that feat with yet another classic album. This notion won't even come in the picture anytime soon since compiling songs from the duo's couple of year's music catalogue won't even make the number to fit an album. Could their lack of recording more music be associated with allegedly losing the 'official' services of Killbeatz whose signature was heavily present on their sophomore album?

One thing that also keeps acts active in the game is by playing shows; from the start of this year and partially through last year we haven't really seen R2Bees rock any major concert. As the months skips by the groups presence on stage have somewhat gone with it. Are they intentionally rejecting shows? What's the cause of them not getting shows to play?

Vis-à-vis not appearing on major concerts the group has had fewer miens when it comes to publicity. Coupled with that, buzzing platforms like social media has had limited activities from the duo which often attracts public interest. As for promo it is definitely zero effort from their team. Are they losing the touch to keep connected to their fans?

It is now quite concurrent to see a member of a music group drop a solo project while still with their group. Paedae of R2bees out of the blue decided to take such a path while the group's instant hit ''Makoma'' was still enjoying massive airplay. Actually, the Kaywa produced single was barely 2months when Omar Sterling released his solo mixtape. Aside 'makoma' losing that special attention, fans contemplated whether R2bees was still a group made up of Mugeez & Paedae. Am still looking forward to hear the latter tell us the reason why he released a solo project while the group was enjoying airplay from a recently dropped single.

Despite the above 'wrong' moves the group still has a vibe around them which I think they have 'refused' to take advantage of. R2Bees is still in the minds of music lovers and their core fans won't hesitate to jump onto a new release. So I don't see why they have decided to 'relax' with Paedae rapping about chilling in Dubai, getting high and alcohol on a single titled ''Nineteen Ninety'' off his mixtape, when they actually need to get together and record more dope stuff.

If the last paragraph didn't indirectly describe how exceptional R2Bees are as a group, rather than they trying to do solo projects then these few points will showcase what a formidable group they are (or should I say used to be). With just ''Lobi'' a single they released last year, R2Bees got nominated for 'Best Group' category at the Ghana Music Awards as well as being featured on BBC's Live lounge 'African Destination' segment.

In conclusion, this goes on to say it's either R2bees are gradually losing interest to do music or probably there is a deeper reason the group has lived up to expectation these few years.

By: GeorgeBritton.com

Source: R2Bees interest in music sinking gradually

South Africa Tourism in Crisis as Chinese Reject New Visa Regulations

South Africa's tourism sector is in crisis as a series of new visa regulations have prompted dramatic falls in arrivals, particularly from the world's largest source of tourists: China. The number of Chinese visitors to South Africa has plunged a staggering 32 percent since last year.

The new visa regulations require that all applicants apply in person and bring an official birth certificate for any children under 18 years old. In a country as large as China, that is apparently too much to ask as travel agents and tour operators are increasingly directing their clients to abandon travel plans to South Africa in favor of other destinations. After all, in some cases, it's actually more expensive for a Chinese traveler to go to Beijing or Shanghai to get the visa than it would be to make the actual trip to South Africa itself. So it's not surprising that Chinese tourists are choosing to go elsewhere other than South Africa for their holidays.

With the world's larg est number of outbound tourists who spend more than visitors from any other country, the Chinese tourist is a prized asset. In the case of South Africa, the effects of the Chinese absence are being felt across the economy as flights are cancelled, hotel rooms go unfilled and restaurants operate below capacity.

The South African tourism industry, for its part, is doing its best to try and persuade the government to either amend or abandon these new restrictive policies that are encouraging ever larger numbers of visitors from China and Asia to go elsewhere. David Frost, CEO of the South African Tourism Services Association, is leading that effort and joins Eric & Cobus to discuss what's at stake.

Listen to the podcast.

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A man walks past a statue covered in snow on August 7, 2012 in Johannesburg. Snow falls annually in the mountains of South Africa and Lesotho, which even hosts a ski resort. But some high-altitude border posts between the countries received so much snow that they were forced to close. (STR/AFP/GettyImages)

A man slides down a hill after a rare snowfall in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012. Temperatures dropped to below freezing Tuesday morning as snow flurries blew through South Africa's commercial hub Johannesburg, dusting the city in white as residents poured into the streets to watch the snowflakes fall. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

People react as a rare snow fall hits Johannesburg, South Africa, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

A man walks in a park covered in snow on August 7, 2012 in Johannesburg. Snow falls annually in the mountains of South Africa and Lesotho, which even hosts a ski resort.(STRINGER/AFP/GettyImages)

People react as a rare snow fall hits Johannesburg, South Africa, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012. The South African Weather Service has warned that extreme cold will blanket much of the nation over the next few days, which remains in winter. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

Two people walk in the snow near Nelson Mandela bridge on August 7, 2012 in Johannesburg. (STRINGER/AFP/GettyImages)

Two people play with snow in a park on August 7, 2012 in Johannesburg. Snow falls annually in the mountains of South Africa and Lesotho, which even hosts a ski resort. (STRINGER/AFP/GettyImages)

Source: South Africa Tourism in Crisis as Chinese Reject New Visa Regulations

Kenya dominates world travel awards gala in Seychelles

The Kenya's tourism facilities dominated the 22nd World Travel Awards (WTA) gala ceremony held in Seychelles scooping nine awards in various categories on the weekend.

The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) led the pack by retaining Africa's leading tourism board for the fourth year in a row.

According to a statement from KTB, Maasai Mara Game Reserve was voted Africa's leading National Park with Diani beach clinching Africa's leading beach destination.

Speaking after receiving the awards, Commerce and Tourism Principal Secretary Dr Ibrahim Mohammed said the outstanding performance by the industry will go a long way in building the country's brand equity and called on the players in the sector to continuously improve on their service delivery.

"Hospitality industry has to keep pace with the changing needs of clientele and therefore a need for constant improvement of product and services. These awards Kenyan travel trade has received today are a demonstration of improvement in services," said the PS.

Twiga Tours was ranked Africa's leading luxury safari destination as well as Africa's responsible tourism company. Carlson Wagonlit topped as Kenya's leading travel Management Company as well as Kenya's leading travel company.

Naivaisha- based Spa Resort, Enashipai won as Kenya's leading spa while Nairobi Serena triumphed as Kenya's leading business hotel. It was also crowned Kenya's green hotel.

The travel industry' awards were held at Kempinski resort in Seychelles and attended by players of the tourism industry from across the globe.

While urging the tourism stakeholders across the continent to work together in growing tourism business, Mohammed added "Africa is our next frontier and this is the time for us as a continent to leverage on each other's strength, synergize on our varied expertise for the betterment of the sector".

KTB managing director, Muriithi Ndegwa welcomed the award for the best tourism board and attributed the success to the dedicated staff and support from the parent ministry as well as the private sector.

"We are honoured to win the title of the Leading tourism board for the fourth time running and this will add impetus to our marketing strategies despite the challenges that have bedevilled the sector in the recent past".

He said the voting of Maasai Mara Game Reserve as Africa's leading National Park and Diani as Africa's leading beach destination was an indication of Kenya's unbeatable position as a safari and beach destination.

"We are leveraging on these endorsements of our traditional products to push our other diverse tourism products across the country," said Mr Ndegwa

Source: Kenya dominates world travel awards gala in Seychelles

Is Morocco Becoming Africa’s Major Investment Hub?

New York- In recent years, Morocco has become a favorite investment destination for many of the world's global companies. From aircraft assembly to car manufacturing to solar energy, Morocco is distinguishing itself as an important industrial player in Africa and the Middle East.

Every now and then, we read in the news that new American, French, German, or Korean companies have expressed interest in investing in Morocco and establishing a factory in the country. Bombardier, Airbus, Renault, and other major global companies have turned Morocco into a major production and marketing hub.

The success of these companies' investments in Morocco is pushing other international companies to invest in the country, especially in the solar energy sector, in light of the government's plan to increase the country's share of renewable energy electricity production to 42 percent by 2020. This goal prompted a delegation of eleven major American companies specializing in the field of solar energy and infrastructure to visit Morocco last December and express their willingness to make Morocco the gateway for American investments in Africa.

The latest in the string of landmark investments in Morocco is FigeacAero, a French group specializing in mechanical aerospace, which recently announced it will open a production unit in Casablanca. The 25 million euros that French companies will invest will generate 500 direct jobs.

On Friday, King Mohammed VI chaired the signing ceremony of the establishment of France's PSA Peugeot Citroen plant in the city of Kenitra. The direct result of this new plant will be the creation of 4,500 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs by the time the factory will be operational in 2019.

The automotive industry has created 80,000 jobs in Morocco, representing about 10% of the country's industrial workforce. In addition to its contribution to generating jobs and alleviating the scourge of unemployment among youth, these investments will also boost Moroccan exports, contributing to a reduction in Morocco's trade imbalance.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Moulay Hafid Elalamy, Minister for Industry, Trade, Investment, and Digital Economy, said that the automotive industry was the "main driver of Morocco's exports in 2012-2014 with sales standing at 40 billion dirhams."

While observing this significant influx of investment in Morocco, one wonders why the kingdom is systematically chosen over its neighbors in North Africa, mainly Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt.

Do companies select Morocco due mainly to the country's infrastructure and geographical location? Is it due to the quality of its human resources and its business climate? Is Morocco's political stability one of the factors that influences investors to use it as platform for the expansion of their businesses in Africa and the Middle East?

The main factors that drive international companies to move their activities to other countries are primarily related to the reduction in the costs of production and the increase in the margins of profit, in addition to the quality of available human resources and infrastructure.

Morocco, largest recipient of FDI in North Africa

Due to its geostrategic location, its proximity to Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas, its recent structural reforms designed to improve the business climate, and its institutional and macro-economic stability, Morocco is quickly becoming a magnet for foreign investments in big added value sectors.

According to a report released by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in January 2014, Morocco was North Africa's largest recipient of foreign direct investments (FDI) in 2013, attracting a total of $3.5 billion. FDI in Morocco recorded an increase of 24 percent during the previous year, while it slowed in other North African countries due to the consequences of the so-called Arab Spring.

"Persistent political and social tensions continued to subdue flows to North Africa, where only Morocco registered solid growth of 24 percent to US$3.5 billion," said the report.

According to a report published by the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA) last April, Morocco emerged as North Africa's top investment destination for private equity, attracting 43% of the total invested in the region between 2010 and 2014.

There is no doubt that the quality of Morocco's human resources and its expanding infrastructure, in terms of highways, railway, airports and ports, are among the factors that pushed PSA Peugeot Citreon to open a new production unit in Morocco. Carlos Antunes Tavares, Chairman of PSA Peugeot Citreon's Managing Board, said as much on Friday in Rabat.

"Given its world-class infrastructure, notably in terms of car production and nexport logistics, in addition to the quality of training of human resources specializing in automobile industry, Morocco was chosen to host the new production plant of French car manufacturer PSA Peugeot Citroen," Tavares said.

The quality of Morocco's human resources is also what has pushed American automaker Ford to open offices in Casablanca and Tangier.

Political stability is what gives Morocco comparative advantage

But these factors alone would not suffice to convince global companies to take the risk of investing in Morocco. Investors are risk-averse, and no company would risk investing in a country that goes through political upheaval. Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt have also high caliber human resources and an infrastructure that could meet the needs of these companies. But what gives Morocco a comparative advantage with its neighbors is its political stability.

No matter how skilled a country's workforce may be and how developed its infrastructure is, it can't gain the confidence of foreign investors if it does not enjoy political stability. In Morocco's case, its political stability in comparison with its neighbors gives it leverage and renders it a major hub for foreign companies looking for new investment opportunities and seeking to expand their operations into other countries.

There is widespread uncertainty about Algeria's political future because of the illness of President Bouteflika and the total secrecy regarding his successor. Tunisia and Egypt are still struggling to weather the consequences of the so-called Arab Spring, with different outcomes in both countries. Meanwhile, Morocco is the only country in the region that has managed to overcome the storm of Arab political turmoil and put into motion a slow but sure march towards a democratic political system.

However flawed Morocco's new constitution, adopted in July 2011, may be, it offers the foundation for a true democratic system in the long run, while taking into account the particularities of Moroccan society, history, and religion.

Amidst the political turmoil brought about by the so-called Arab Spring, Morocco has shown the world the only instance of an Arab country ruled by an Islamist-led coalition where the leaders of the Islamist party coexist in harmony with the monarchy, the ultimate guarantor of the country's stability.

In addition, another factor that gives Morocco more leverage and greater appeal to investors in comparison with its North African neighbors is its efficient counterterrorism strategy, which has enabled it to foil a large number of terrorist plots within the country and in its neighboring countries. While terrorism has been striking in North African countries, including Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt, Morocco has stood strong and prevented the occurrence of such destabilizing disasters. In an interview with Jeune Afrique in its Sunday, June 21 edition, Mohammed Hassad, the Minister of Interior, said that Morocco dismantled 27 terrorist cells between 2013-2015.

It is this prominent role that Morocco has come to play in the global strategy to fight terrorism that has led a number of important French politicians, such as former President Nicolas Sarkozy, former Prime Minister Jean Pierre Raffarin, and former Interior Minister Charle Pasqua, to call on their government to resume dialogue with Rabat to reestablish cooperation between the two countries' intelligence services following the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January. Additionally, the US Department of State praised Morocco in its 2014 report on Terrorism.

"Morocco has a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy that includes vigilant security measures, regional and international cooperation, and counter-radicalization policies," read the US Country Reports on Terrorism 2014.

Moroccan officials should capitalize on the momentum created by investments to enable the kingdom to reinforce its position as the leading investment hub and the go-to destination for any major international company seeking to explore new horizons and expand its operations in Africa and the Middle East. Morocco possesses all the necessary ingredients to put it on the path toward becoming a fully-fledged emerging economy. But this can only be done through continued improvement of its business climate, the reform of its judiciary system, in line with international standards, and continuing focus on the rule of law, accountability and transparency.

Samir Bennis is the co-founder of and editor-in-chief of Morocco World News. You can follow him @Samir Bennis

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission

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Source: Is Morocco Becoming Africa's Major Investment Hub?

Seychelles as the host celebrates with Indian Ocean winners of the World Travel Awards

Besides all recent questions around how the World Travel Awards (WTA) select winners, one fact is undisputed. World Travel Awards knows how to celebrate. The Africa & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony 2015 concluded Saturday night at the Kempinski Seychelles Resort.

According to a press release received by World Travel Awards 2015 winners have been unveiled.

Air Seychelles was among the biggest winners on the night, taking the titles of Indian Ocean's Leading Airline and Indian Ocean's Leading Airline – Business Class.

In front of an audience of more than 150 industry professionals from 20 countries, Maldives was recognised as Indian Ocean's Leading Beach Destination, while host Seychelles took the title of Indian Ocean's Leading Destination.

In Africa, Kenya took the coveted trophy for Africa's Leading Tourist Board.

World Travel Awards President Graham Cooke said: "Tonight has been a fantastic showcase of hospitality brands from across Africa and the Indian Ocean. We have recognised some industry leading brands and it is a pleasure to honour our winners here at Kempinski Seychelles Resort."

He added: "This evening's winners will now move forward to the Grand Final in Morocco later in the year, and I look forward to welcoming them there."

Also taking home prizes were Hilton Hurghada Plaza, taking the title of Africa's Leading All Inclusive Resort, while La Cigale Hôtel Tabarka in Tunisia walked away with the trophy for Africa's Leading New Hotel.

Transcorp Hilton Abuja was also among the big winners, taking a total of five awards.

The luxury property took the trophies for Nigeria's Leading Hotel and Africa's Leading Business Hotel among a clutch of prizes.

The event was hosted by the glamorous former Miss Seychelles, Sherlyn Furneau, and leading presenter Galen Bresson, while guests were entertained by The Breeze Band and the National Cultural Dance Troup of Seychelles.

Seychelles Minister of Tourism & Culture Alain St Ange said: "Tonight we welcomed the best of the best to our shores.

"My many travels in Africa and throughout the Indian Ocean have, time and again, revealed to me that our tourism products possess great diversity, authenticity and vibrancy and are able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the best on the planet.

"We have today among us the crème-de-la-crème of African and Indian Ocean tourism. This is such a great opportunity, not only to celebrate, honour and reward the success stories of today, but also to network and explore new synergies and strategies for tomorrow.

"We know we are today visible as a country as never before."

The list of winners according to the World Travel Awards website:

Indian Ocean's Leading Airline

Air Seychelles

Indian Ocean's Leading Airline - Business Class

Air Seychelles

Indian Ocean's Leading Airline - Economy Class

Air Mauritius

Indian Ocean's Leading Airline Customer Service

Air Mauritius

Indian Ocean's Leading Airport

Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, Maldives

Indian Ocean's Leading Airport Lounge

Air Mauritius: Mauritius International Airport The Amédée Maingard Lounge

Indian Ocean's Leading Beach Destination

Maldives

Indian Ocean's Leading Beach Resort

LUX* Maldives

Indian Ocean's Leading Boutique Hotel

Paradise Cove Boutique Hotel, Mauritius

Indian Ocean's Leading Boutique Hotel Brand

Coco Collection

Indian Ocean's Leading Cabin Crew

Air Seychelles

Indian Ocean's Leading Car Rental Company

Avis

Indian Ocean's Leading Cruise Destination

Seychelles

Indian Ocean's Leading Cruise Line

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Indian Ocean's Leading Cruise Port

Port Victoria, Seychelles

Indian Ocean's Leading Culinary Hotel

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Indian Ocean's Leading Destination

Seychelles

Indian Ocean's Leading Dive Destination

Mauritius

Indian Ocean's Leading Family Resort

Andilana Beach Resort, Madagascar

Indian Ocean's Leading Green Resort

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa

Indian Ocean's Leading Honeymoon Destination

Mauritius

Indian Ocean's Leading Hotel

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Indian Ocean's Leading Hotel Brand

Hilton Hotels & Resorts

Indian Ocean's Leading Hotel Residences

Four Seasons Resort Seychelles

Indian Ocean's Leading Hotel Suite

Royal Island Suite @ JA Manafaru, Maldives

Indian Ocean's Leading Leisure Hotel

Hulhule Island Hotel, Maldives

Indian Ocean's Leading Luxury Resort

Cheval Blanc Randheli, Maldives

Indian Ocean's Leading Luxury Tour Operator

OV Holidays

Indian Ocean's Leading Luxury Water Villa

Ocean Suites @ Paradise Island Resort & Spa, Maldives

Indian Ocean's Leading MICE Hotel

Kempinski Seychelles Resort

Indian Ocean's Leading New Resort

AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa

Indian Ocean's Leading Private Island Resort

Fregate Island Private, Seychelles

Indian Ocean's Leading Resort

One&Only Le Saint Geran, Mauritius

Indian Ocean's Leading Seaplane Operator

Trans Maldivian Airways

Indian Ocean's Leading Spa Resort

Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa

Indian Ocean's Leading Tourist Board

Seychelles Tourism Board

Indian Ocean's Leading Travel Agency

Get Into Maldives Travels

Indian Ocean's Leading Villa Resort

Raffles Praslin, Seychelles

Indian Ocean's Leading Villa Resort & Spa

Ayada Maldives

Indian Ocean's Most Romantic Resort

Baros Maldives

Madagascar

TOP

Madagascar's Leading Hotel

              Hotel Carlton Madagascar

Madagascar's Leading Resort

              Andilana Beach Resort

Maldives

Maldives' Leading Boutique Resort

Cocoa Island by COMO, Maldives

Maldives' Leading Family Resort

Paradise Island Resort & Spa

Maldives' Leading Green Resort

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa

Maldives' Leading Hotel Suite

Royal Island Suite @ JA Manafaru

Maldives' Leading Leisure Hotel Brand

Villa Hotels

Maldives' Leading Luxury Hotel Villa

Ocean Sanctuary Sunset @ Jumeirah Dhevanafushi

Maldives' Leading Luxury Resort

Constance Halaveli

Maldives' Leading Luxury Tour Operator

OV Holidays

Maldives' Leading Resort

One&Only Maldives at Reethi Rah

Maldives' Leading Spa Resort

Jumeirah Vittaveli

Maldives' Leading Spa Resort Brand

Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas

Maldives' Leading Travel Agency

Get Into Maldives Travels

Maldives' Leading Villa Resort

Anantara Kihavah Villas

Maldives' Leading Water Villa Resort

Anantara Dhigu Resort Maldives

Mauritius

TOP

Mauritius' Leading Boutique Hotel

Paradise Cove Boutique Hotel

Mauritius' Leading Conference Hotel

InterContinental Resort Mauritius

Mauritius' Leading Destination Management Company

Mautourco

Mauritius' Leading Family Resort

Paradis Hotel & Golf Club

Mauritius' Leading Green Resort

Sofitel Mauritius l'Impérial Resort & Spa

Mauritius' Leading Hotel

The Oberoi Mauritius

Mauritius' Leading Hotel Residences

Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita

Mauritius' Leading Hotel Suite

Royal Suite @ Royal Palm Mauritius

Mauritius' Leading Luxury Hotel Villa

Presidential Suite Pool Villa @ Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa

Mauritius' Leading Luxury Resort

Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita

Mauritius' Leading Resort

Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa

Mauritius' Leading Spa Resort

The St. Regis Mauritius Resort

Mauritius' Leading Travel Agency

Concorde Mauritius

Reunion Island

Reunion Island's Leading Hotel

LUX* Ile de la Réunion

Seychelles

Seychelles' Leading Boutique Hotel

Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa

Seychelles' Leading Conference Hotel

Kempinski Seychelles Resort

Seychelles' Leading Family Resort

Sainte Anne Island

Seychelles' Leading Green Resort

Banyan Tree Seychelles

Seychelles' Leading Hotel

Constance Lémuria Seychelles

Seychelles' Leading Hotel Suite

Royal Suite @ Four Seasons Resort Seychelles

Seychelles' Leading Luxury Hotel Villa

Owners Signature Villa @ Enchanted Island Resort

Seychelles' Leading Resort

Four Seasons Resort Seychelles

Seychelles' Leading Spa Resort

Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa

Source: Seychelles as the host celebrates with Indian Ocean winners of the World Travel Awards

Johannesburg: The best place for young people in Africa

Johannesburg is the best place for young people in Africa. This much was confirmed by the 2015 Youthful Cities Index, which recently found Joburg to be "the most popular city" in Africa overall for young people aged between 15 and 29.

The accolade comes as the City celebrates Youth Month and marks the 39th anniversary of June 16 1976 Soweto uprising, during which hundreds of schoolchildren were shot dead by apartheid police for protesting against the use of Afrikaans – the language of the oppressor – as a medium of instruction in black schools.

The day dramatically changed the course of history and helped to quicken the pace of the struggle for liberation. Thirty-nine years on and 21 years into South Africa's democracy, the day is used to reflect on the unique spirit of human endeavour and to draw inspiration from the courage of the youth of the time to forge a better country.

The index is compiled by Youthful Cities, a Canadian-based organisation that collects data through a survey conducted among 10 000 youths between the ages of 15 and 29 throughout the globe. In its second year, the index surveyed youths in 55 world cities, with New York taking pole position, followed by London, Berlin and San Francisco in second, third and fourth positions respectively.

Johannesburg was ranked the best African city for the youth, ranking highly particularly in terms of diversity, fashion and public space. Overall, Johannesburg ranked 35th on the list of 55 surveyed world cities. Ratings are based on 20 key attributes, including economic status, employment opportunities, digital access, culture and affordability.

By winning the African category of the most-sought after award, Johannesburg beat several thriving, exotic and tourist-popular cities such as Lagos in Nigeria, Casablanca in Morocco and Nairobi in Kenya.

"This is a perfect way for Johannesburg to celebrate its status as a youthful city, a city with a youthful population that contributes to its vibe and diversity," says Johannesburg Tourism's Laura Vercueil.

Vercueil says Johannesburg's importance as the "epicentre of the struggle – most notably during 1976, when the youth were at the forefront" – is particularly relevant as the country celebrates Youth Month. "The June 16 1976 uprising has never been forgotten. It is imprinted on the international consciousness and has ensured Soweto's iconic status," she adds.

Being a relatively young city, at just 129 years old, Johannesburg's appeal as a mecca of opportunities has made it a vibey cultural melting pot, one that has uniquely shaped the city into the continent's "ultimate alpha attraction". With an unlimited array of cultural, historical, social, entertainment and shopping opportunities and offerings, Johannesburg's boundless energy has caught the attention of the international community and local residents alike.

Bursting with youthful exuberance and ingenuity, Johannesburg has several cultural and historical attractions that cater for all ages and interests.

Iconic attractions include Vilakazi Street in Orlando West, Soweto; the Maboneng Precinct on the eastern side of the city; Wits Origins Centre; Gold Reef City, Apartheid Museum, Liliesleaf Farm, Sophiatown Cultural Centre, to mention a few.

Top attractions for children in and around Johannesburg include the Sci-Bono Centre in Newtown, Wits Planetarium, Johannesburg Zoo, Montecasino Bird Gardens in Fourways, Lipizzaners in Kyalami and Johannesburg Youth Theatre in Parktown.

The latest recognition comes after a series of similar accolades over the past year. Last year MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index ranked Johannesburg as the most-visited city in Africa for the second year running, followed by Cape Town.

Prominent arts publisher Phaidon released a book titled Art Cities of the Future that named Johannesburg as one of 12 cities that will shake up the art world in the 21st century.The Wall Street Journal also featured Joburg as one of the world's "Four Emerging Art Cities You Should Know".

Johannesburg has also been rated the second most inspiring city in the world by Good magazine's annual Good City Index, just behind Hong Kong. Despite the challenges Johannesburg faces, the magazine describes the City as "good at finding new, sometimes unorthodox ways to fix itself, like freeing owls in the townships and starting a youth photography skills development programme called 'I wasshot in Joburg:)'."

Source: Johannesburg: The best place for young people in Africa

Viking Ocean Cruises unveils four new itineraries

LOS ANGELES, CA - Fresh off the christening of its first ship, the 930-passenger Viking Star, Viking Ocean Cruises today announced that four new itineraries and 2017 departures for Viking Star—and sister ships Viking Sea and Viking Sky — are now open for booking. The 2017 program includes sailings on Viking's most popular itineraries in the Mediterranean, Western Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltic. Viking's guests now have even more opportunities for destination-focused cruises in 2016 and 2017 that span from ancient empires to the towering fjords of Norway and beyond.

"We are encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response Viking Star has generated among our guests and travel industry partners," said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking Cruises. "We made a commitment to reinvent ocean cruising, and we are well on our way. By 2017 we will have two more ships designed to enable our guests to better experience their destination. We will also have four new itineraries that offer our guests more time in port and enriching, cultural experiences at a better value than our competitors."

New Mediterranean & Holy Land Itineraries

Not only is Viking adding sailing dates to existing itineraries, but the company has also created four new enrichment-filled programs that will take guests from the sun-soaked region of the Mediterranean to the cultural capital of St. Petersburg.

• NEW FOR 2016: Ancient Empires & Holy Lands (15 days; Rome to Istanbul)—This 15-day itinerary offers the opportunity to explore historic destinations in the Eastern Mediterranean and experience some of the sacred sights of the Middle East while traveling through the heart of the Holy Land. Guests will have the chance to spend three days in Israel, making stops in Jerusalem and Haifa, gateways to Bethlehem and Nazareth, and will also be able to explore the ancient cities of Rome, Athens and Istanbul.

• NEW FOR 2016: Bergen to the Bosphorus (15 days; Bergen to Istanbul)—This epic journey begins in beautiful Bergen before cruising south to the Mediterranean, stopping in Paris and Lisbon along the way. Once in the Mediterranean, travelers visit Tunis, Valletta and Athens before concluding the trip in the ancient cosmopolitan city of Istanbul.

• NEW FOR 2017: Secrets of the Southern Mediterranean (8 days; Rome to Barcelona)—Guests will set sail through the southern Mediterranean, departing from glorious Rome and continuing on to some of North Africa's most historically significant destinations, including Tunis, a dazzling city that mixes North African tradition and French colonialism, and Algiers, home of the Notre Dame d'Afrique. The itinerary also stops in Valletta, Sardinia and Valencia before concluding the trip in beautiful Barcelona.

• NEW FOR 2017: Barcelona, the Baltic & Beyond (22 days; Barcelona to Stockholm)—This voyage travels through the waterways of Western Europe and the Baltic, giving guests the opportunity to explore iconic world-class cities such as Barcelona, Lisbon, Paris, Amsterdam and St. Petersburg.

Viking Star, Viking Sea and Viking SkyRecently christened in Bergen, Norway, the 930-passenger all-veranda Viking Star—as well as her two sister ships under construction, Viking Sea (2016) and Viking Sky (2017)—is engineered at a scale that allows direct access into most ports, so guests have easy and efficient embarkation and disembarkation. Classified by Cruise Critic as "small ships," Viking's ocean fleet features understated elegance and modern Scandinavian design. Highlights include:

• All Veranda Staterooms: Guests can choose from five stateroom categories, starting from a 270 sq. ft. Veranda Stateroom, all with private verandas, king-size beds, large showers and LCD TVs.

• Explorer Suites: The ships feature 14 Explorer Suites, which are two-room suites ranging from 757 to 1,163 sq. ft. that offer sweeping views from wraparound private verandas as well as the most amenities and privileges of any category on board.

• Two Pool Choices: In addition to the Main Pool with a retractable dome permitting any-season swimming, the ships feature a glass-backed Infinity Pool off the stern, allowing guests to swim surrounded by their destination.

• The Spa: In keeping with Viking's Nordic heritage, The Spa on board is designed with the holistic wellness philosophy of Scandinavia in mind—from the centuries-old tradition of the sauna to a Snow Grotto where snowflakes gently descend from the ceiling through chilled air.

• Explorers' Lounge and Wintergarden: Spaces designed to facilitate mingling and storytelling, the two-deck Explorers' Lounge at the bow is the perfect spot for taking in scenery through double-height windows over a glass of aquavit or pint of local craft beer; and the Wintergarden is a serene environment in which to relax and enjoy afternoon tea service complete with a hand-selected teas.

• Dining Choices: Viking's ships offer multiple restaurantlocations and food choices—from The Restaurant and the World Café, serving a variety of global cuisines and regional specialties and Mamsen's, which serves Norwegian deli-style fare—to intimate dining experiences at The Chef's Table, Manfredi's Italian Restaurant and The Kitchen Table, all serving meals prepared with fresh, local ingredients. Furthermore, with multiple choices for outdoor seating during meals, Viking's ocean ships offer more al fresco dining than any other ships.

• Enriching Entertainment: Connecting guests to their destinations through authentic experiences is central to Viking Cruises, and onboard venues include a dramatic three-deck atrium where guests can enjoy musicians playing regional and classical music; the Theater, home to enrichment lectures from scholars and experts; an onboard cooking school where guests can learn how to prepare local specialties; and Torshavn, a piano lounge where guests can relax, mingle, and exchange stories after a day of exploring.

• Sustainable Features: Designed with the environment in mind, Viking's ocean ships feature energy-efficient hybrid engines, hydro-dynamically optimized streamlined hulls and bows for maximum fuel efficiency, onboard solar panels, and equipment that minimizes exhaust pollution and meets the strictest environmental regulations.

Source: Viking Ocean Cruises unveils four new itineraries

South African Tourism Launches Madiba's Journey Phone App

PHOTO: The Mandela Capture site, his last place of freedom before his 27-year incarceration. (Photo by David Cogswell)

No one person has ever been a greater boost to the tourism of his country than Nelson Mandela, and to capitalize on the power of attraction of South Africa's revolutionary former president, South African Tourism launched a new smart phone app that can be used to follow in the footsteps of the life of Nelson Mandela.

The new app, called Madiba's Journey, catalogues many of the principal geographical points that link to the major events of Mandela's life. It uses GPS technology to access information about sites near the user

The charismatic leader has been a major draw for South Africa since the new republic was established in the early 1990s, but since his death in late 2013, interest in him has piqued even more.

South African Tourism collaborated with the Nelson Mandela Foundation to develop a map of "Madiba inspired tourist attractions." The map plots out points of interest in the four South African provinces that figure most prominently in Mandela's life story.

The map caught the attention not only of tourists, but of tour operators seeing Madiba's Journey as a surefire winnning theme for tour packages. The success of the map inspired the extension of it into a smart phone app.

Sites incorporated into the app include the UNESCO World Heritage Site Robben Island, where Mandela served 18 of his 27 years as a political prisoner; the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory at Qunu in the Eastern Cape, where Mandela maintained an office after his presidency and where he is buried; and Liliesleaf in Rivonia, which was a center of the liberation movement.

The Madiba's Journey smart phone app is currently available in English, but other versions are being developed in alternative languages, including Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Dutch, French, German, Italian, simple Mandarin and Portuguese.

The app is available for download from the Apple iTunes store for iOS devices and the Google Play store for Android devices.

Source: South African Tourism Launches Madiba's Journey Phone App

NotATourist Campaign Unleashes the Imagination of travellers to Africa

Visa, a global payments technology company, announced the launch of NotATourist, an innovative, full-fledged regional campaign aimed at driving international tourism during holidays, and making the summer holidays of cardholders rewarding.

Running in key Middle East and African markets including, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Senegal  until 31 August, 2015, the campaign provides cardholders with real and rich destination related information to help plan their travel as well as access to Visa's global merchant offers and exclusive promotions.

The NotATourist campaign is designed to inspire travel beyond the regular tourist sites to savour truly local experiences that are the essence of making a destination unique. For some, a walk in a local African market might be equivalent to a stride in the Champs-Élysées and others might find a ride on an elephant as comfortable as riding the London Bus. As travellers experience unforgettable moments, Visa remains the gateway to an array of offers that give cardholders the ability to maximize their joy and access to thousands of attractions that unlock the secrets of their preferred destinations.

The campaign is poised to help travellers explore destinations as local inhabitants – not as tourists – by providing local knowledge using crowdsourced digital content that is showcased on Visa's NotATourist website and the Visa Explore mobile app. Downloading the Visa Explore Application from Apple Store or Google Play will ensure that travellers will stay informed with the most updated Visa offers and opportunities, ATM locations, and valuable information for cardholders. The application, through a variety of sections, serves as a companion for all Visa cardholders who enjoy security, convenience, and acceptance at tens of millions of merchants worldwide.

NotATourist also offers travellers a platform to describe the many facets of a destination by sharing their own images, videos, posts and comments, making them ambassadors or tour guides of their favourite travel spots. Visa will supplement the crowdsourced content with essential travel information and its global merchant offers across destinations.

The #NotATourist campaign signifies the innovation of the Visa brand; the fifth most valuable global brand according to MillwardBrown, as it helps travellers to associate with the destinations and provokes their imagination for a memorable experience.

"Travellers often desire a taste of local culture and attractions that are hard to find in travel books or with a guided tour. The #NotATourist campaign tries to build on this desire, by connecting people and their experiences through unleashing the imagination of the traveller to interact with the beauty of the destination," says Karim Beg, Head of Marketing at Visa Middle East and North and West, Central Africa. "The most important highlight of this campaign is that we are able to communicate with the hearts and minds of African travellers and help them appreciate the hidden treasures of the places they visit.

"As a global payments technology company, we believe in the power and reach of mobile applications, to tap in to the large population of smart phone users, mostly millennials who can effectively influence other aspirational travellers in the same age group."

The #NotATourist campaign ties in with Visa's efforts to promote tourism in Africa, through partnerships with government authorities, financial institutions and merchants. In addition, Visa also invests in enhancing travel experiences through safe and convenient payment solutions, and a wide selection of benefits and privileges for travellers.

Beg added: "The Visa Global Travel Intentions Study 2015 shows that travellers are more digital-savvy than ever before, with 78% of global travellers using digital information while planning their trips, and 66% resorting to digital sources for travel tips at the destination. This is a phenomenal representation of the impact of digital engagement on the travel sector, and one of the main drivers for our efforts with NotATourist. Besides driving home the message of safe and convenient payments with Visa at target markets, we also want NotATourist to start a conversation with people on easy, unique and fulfilling cross-border travel."

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Source: NotATourist Campaign Unleashes the Imagination of travellers to Africa

Ignore Chuck Dean; the world recognizes Birmingham is an essential destination city

My esteemed colleague, Chuck Dean, must've been out of town this weekend.

How else could he defend saying that "Birmingham is not a destination city," on the same weekend that 10,000 people packed Bartow Arena to watch Deontay Wilder defend his heavyweight title? The same weekend that more than 50,000 people flocked to the BJCC to watch Garth Brooks?

He must've missed the Barons' millionth fan walking through the gates to Regions Field two weeks ago. And I'm guessing he hasn't walked through the Theater District recently.

And... if he really doesn't think Birmingham is a destination city, I'm beginning to wonder if he's even been to Civil Rights Institute. Because, he fails to realize that it's because of the city's past that we are such an important destination for people throughout the world.

Last week I had the opportunity to meet with sophomores and juniors from the prestigious Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass. The students were visiting the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute as part of a 10-day immersion experience in the American South. In past years, Phillips students have visited China, Europe, or even South Africa. But these students chose to spend their summer in Birmingham and the American South.

Now, I've got to say that I was skeptical. The idea of high schoolers "studying" the South by visiting Civil Rights battlegrounds sounded a bit like signing up for a dating service that only allowed you to list your glaring flaws – swipe right for occasional lynching, swipe left for bigoted textbooks. I could easily envision some sanctimonious Yankee teacher saying, "Look kids! Here's where racism happened." But after meeting with the students and teachers, I was pleasantly surprised.

It's hard to know what to expect from 16-year-old and 17-year-old kids. My assumption was that these kids from Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Massachusetts and around the country would approach the South as an alien world that needed to be analyzed and fixed. What I found, instead, were kids that approached Birmingham, Selma and Montgomery with something like reverence. These were communities that they could learn from, not places to fear or change. They quickly drew parallels to struggles in their own community and found inspiration in the thousands of protestors that worked in tandem to make a difference in the face of terrible odds.

It's a mindset that I think may be lost on people like Chuck Dean. Birmingham is a destination city because of "cowards who set off a bomb in a black church almost 52 years ago killing four little girls."

In fact, Mo'ne Davis – one of the coolest sports superstars in the world right now – is visiting the city later this month specifically to learn more about those four little girls.

Like the students at Phillips Academy, Davis and her teammates are planning a cultural tour through the South, playing exhibition games in communities like Selma, Birmingham and Little Rock while embracing the history lessons offered by each community. And thousands of people take similar cultural excursions each year.

In speaking with Judith Wombwell, the faculty member that planned and coordinated the Phillips Academy trip through the South, I was struck by a growing generational divide. Wombwell grew up in Memphis during the 1960s, witnessing the civil rights battles first hand, just a child when Dr. King was assassinated while visiting her hometown. Like Chuck, I get the feeling that when Wombwell sees Birmingham and Memphis, she sees horror. Even today, they struggle to see beyond the flickering black-and-white images of horror that defined the South in their youth.

For many of us too young to have firsthand experience with sit-ins, or children's marches or earth-shattering assassinations, we view the South's role in the Civil Rights movement with pride. History was made here – and we have an obligation to learn from and continue that legacy.

It's an obligation that the world wants to be a part of as well.

Since its opening in 1992, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute has been visited by more than 2 million tourists from across the United States, from South Africa, from the Middle East, and countries across Europe and South America. The legacy of nonviolent protests has inspired millions across the globe – no wonder so many people approach Edmund Pettus Bridge or the 16th Street Baptist Church with such reference. Birmingham is certainly a destination city in the eyes of UNESCO.

With all due respect to Birmingham's yuppies and yuccies, while the art museum may be great and our music scene is phenomenal, and while I love Regions Field, Railroad Park and our incredible food scene, it's places like the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute that set us apart. That make us an essential American city. If you haven't been yet, it's time to go.

In the last several years, we've seen a tremendous renaissance in downtown Birmingham. But the renaissance hasn't been driven by destroying or painting over the city's past – it's been driven by restoration and revitalization. To some, Birmingham's role in history is an ugly scar to be avoided, but if we embrace it and continue to build on it – by  renovating the A.G. Gaston Motel and establishing the "Freedom Center," for example –  it could bring more tourism, attention and excitement to the city than a newly restored theater or hotel could ever hope to.

Source: Ignore Chuck Dean; the world recognizes Birmingham is an essential destination city

Friends reunited... again! Angelina Jolie and William Hague team up for African summit to tackle the rape of women in war

Angelina Jolie teamed up with William Hague at an African Union summit

She spoke about rape as a weapon of warfare at the event in South Africa

The actress also urged African representatives to support women's rights

By Jenny Stanton For Mailonline

Published: 17:10 EST, 12 June 2015 | Updated: 19:47 EST, 12 June 2015

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Actress Angelina Jolie teamed up with former British Foreign Secretary William Hague at an African Union summit in South Africa today.

Jolie, the United Nations special envoy on refugees, spoke about rape as a weapon of warfare and asked African representatives to support women's rights.

She joined a panel with the African Union Commission Chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Hague and other prominent delegates.

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Team: Actress Angelina Jolie (right) attended the summit in South Africa with former British Foreign Secretary William Hague (left)

Cause: Jolie, the United Nations special envoy on refugees, spoke about rape as a weapon of warfare today

 Jolie closed her speech by saying that the solution needs to be pioneered by women themselves

It was the latest destination in a whistle-stop international tour for the actress, who has visited the UK and France in the last week.   

Jolie said: 'There is a global epidemic of violence against women – both within conflict zones and within societies at peace – and it is still treated as a lesser crime and lower priority.

'The near-total impunity that exists worldwide for crimes against women in conflict zones in particular, means that we are seeing more and more armed groups turn to it as a weapon of choice: Women and girls are bearing the brunt of extremists that revel in treating them barbarically' 

She went on to pay tribute to African victims for their 'extraordinary resilience, dignity and strength in the face of trials that would break any of us'.

'They are some of the most formidable and impressive people I have ever met and they deserve better than to be left alone to suffer,' she said.

Jolie closed her speech by saying that the solution needs to be pioneered by women themselves.

Jolie paid tribute to African victims for their ' extraordinary resilience, dignity and strength in the face of trials that would break any of us'

Actress Angelina Jolie and former British Foreign Secretary William Hague are co-founders of the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative

'We need policies for long-term security that are designed by women, focused on women, executed by women – not at the expense of men, or instead of men, but alongside and with men,'

She said 'There is no greater pillar of stability than a strong, free and educated woman, and there is no more inspiring role model than a man who respects and cherishes women and c hampions their leadership.'

According to The Telegraph Hague, 54, vowed to use his 'unusual alliance' with Jolie to continue fighting sexual violence in the world's most troubled regions. 

He explained that he and the actress had accepted the invite - which was rare for outsiders - to attend the summit in hopes of persuading the mainly male African leaders to take responsibility for the epidemic. 

As co-founders of the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative, Jolie and Hague met with South African rights groups yesterday to discuss strategies to prevent sexual violence. 

 

Source: Friends reunited... again! Angelina Jolie and William Hague team up for African summit to tackle the rape of women in war

Pope confirms plans to visit Central African Republic, Uganda in November

Vatican City, Jun 12, 2015 / 11:44 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis said today that he is planning to travel to Africa in November, specifically to the Central African Republic, Uganda, and possibly Kenya.

During a meeting with hundreds of priests from around the world participating in the Third World Priests Retreat in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Pope responded to the question from an African priest asking when he planned to come to Africa.

"God willing, I will be in Africa in November. In the Central African Republic first and then Uganda," he responded.

The pontiff added that it "is possible" that he may also go to Kenya, but said this is not certain, because of organizational challenges.

He also noted that the trip will come "before the presidential transition in the Central African Republic, and Uganda after the 50th anniversary of the martyrs, though a little late."

The Pope had already announced his intention to travel to Africa – specifically the Central African Republic and Uganda – during a press conference while returning from a trip to Sri Lanka and the Philippines in January.

In September 2014, the bishops of Uganda invited the pontiff to their country to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the canonization of the martyrs of Uganda.

The 22 Ugandan Martyrs were killed by the king in the 1880s for refusing to recant their faith. They were canonized Oct. 18, 1964 by Pope Paul VI in St. Peter's Basilica. The Church of Uganda has already begun preparations for the celebration of the Golden Anniversary of the canonization with a diocesan conference on the 22 saints.

Pope Francis' other destination – the Central African Republic – has been gripped by violence since December 2012.

The country's conflict began when Seleka rebels, loosely organized groups that drew primarily Muslim fighters from other countries, ousted the president and installed their own leader in a Mar ch 2013 coup.

In September 2013, after 10 months of terrorism at the hands of the Seleka, anti-balaka self-defense groups began to form. The conflict in the nation took on a sectarian character, as some anti-balaka, many of whom are Christian, began attacking Muslims out of revenge for the Seleka's acts.

The conflict has died down since the presence of international peacekeepers was enlarged in late 2014, but the nation remains unstable.

On May 15, Pope Francis met with bishops from the Central African Republic. He told them that they "must play an indispensable prophetic role during the current institutional transition, recalling and reflecting the witness of the fundamental values of justice, truth and honesty, which are the foundation of any renewal, promoting dialogue and peaceful coexistence between members of different societies and ethnicities, thus encouraging reconciliation and social cohesion, which is the key to the future."

The Pope also str essed to the bishops that "Christian formation and a deepening of the faith" must be priorities so that "the Gospel permeates the life of the baptized, for the good not only of the Christian communities, but also the whole of Central African society."

Instructing them "to form the conscience of the faithful, and indeed that of all the people, as your voice is heard and respected by all," the Holy Father explained that "(i)t is in this way that you should take your rightful place in current developments, avoiding direct involvement in political quarrels," he said.

Tags: Pope Francis, Africa, Central African Republic, Uganda

Source: Pope confirms plans to visit Central African Republic, Uganda in November