US Embassy says American woman killed in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG –  A 39-year-old American woman was killed in a hotel room in Cape Town this week and a murder suspect of Guatemalan origin has been arrested, South African police said Friday.

South African police spokeswoman Noloyiso Rwexana said the body of the woman was found at a hotel in Camps Bay, a popular tourist destination in Cape Town. She said the suspect is 41 years old and faces murder charges.

The U.S. Embassy in South Africa said the killing occurred on Wednesday. It declined to provide further details about the case.

Source: US Embassy says American woman killed in South Africa

Finding the meaning of home in Africa

Story highlights

CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin traveled to Africa twice this year

She found a deeper understanding of the vast continent and broadened her idea of 'home'

That's how you're greeted at Sanctuary Olonana in the Masai Mara, a remote 583-square-mile national reserve in southeastern Kenya where wildlife and Maasai villagers coexist.

"Welcome home." Thing is, I'd never visited Kenya before this trip (the Nairobi airport doesn't count). In fact, until just a few months ago, Africa was a distant destination, a dream destination, for sure, but a place that existed for me largely in my mind.

Africa had never been home, but my understanding of this continent changed dramatically this year with not just one but two very distinct "pinch me" experiences.

The first involved summiting Africa's highest peak, a bucket list trip that altered me in ways I wasn't expecting. The second involved a different kind of peak -- a career highlight for sure -- and certainly solidified my feelings toward this once-faraway place.

I first set foot on African soil just four months ago, when I traveled to Tanzania. I was 35 years old, had just moved to New York and decided it was time to stop talking about Africa and finally go.

But I needed to go in a big way -- and to me, that meant attempting to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, all 19,345 feet of it.

By the time I reached the summit, I was changed, physically and emotionally. From the moment I started back down the mountain, the little voice in my head wondered: When would I return to Africa?

Little did I know that answer would be just four months later.

In late spring, the White House announced that President Barack Obama would be traveling to Kenya in July for his Entrepreneurship Summit.

Last summer, he invited all the African leaders to Washington, and he has created a number of U.S.-based African initiatives.

But this trip would be special, because it would be the first time as sitting president that Obama would return to Kenya and revisit his roots.

It was a story I wanted to tell. With hard work and some good help, I eventually landed an exclusive interview with Auma Obama, President Obama's half-sister.

My producer and I would travel to the Obama family's ancestral village in western Kenya, visit Sauti Kuu (Swahili for "powerful voices"), Auma's foundation empowering children and families in that community, and see how these Kenyans -- half a world away -- feel about Obama's return "home."

Through our days on the ground, I discovered that our opportunity with Auma would also provide a rare window into the Obama family. She is easily the closest sibling to the President (and as a result, she is fiercely private and protective of her family).

She shared stories with me about what it feels like when she returns to her ancestral home of Nyang'oma Kogelo, where, seven years after her brother arrived in the White House, many little boys are now named "Barack Obama."

Obama: 'I'm the first Kenyan-American to be president'

Auma took us to her family homestead and introduced me to "Mama Sarah," the 93-year-old grandmother to Auma and Barack. Auma even walked me to her father's grave, where she shared with me in almost a whisper what she believes her father -- if he were still alive -- would say to his son, the President of the United States.

I left West Kenya pensive, the theme of "home" starting to tug at me. What does "home" really mean? Is it merely geography, where you were born? Could it include straddling two continents and cultures? Or perhaps it's a place with a spiritual magnetism -- a feeling toward a culture or people -- that's tough to put into words?

And that feeling brings me to the final leg of my Kenyan journey: the Masai Mara (or the "Mara," as the locals call it), a vast national reserve in southwestern Kenya.

If you time your visit just right, you get to witness the Great Migration, the crossing of hundreds of thousands of gazelles, wildebeests, zebras and impala from Tanzania's Serengeti into Kenya's Mara, seeking fresh grass, food and water. Animals seeking a new home ...

Our guide, Joseph Koyie, took us immediately on our first game drive. Not two minutes into our adventure, his well-attuned eye spotted a lioness in the distance.

Only, it was slinking our way. As in, at one point, this beautiful creature (with mighty large teeth) was crouched 2 feet from our vehicle. I froze.

Joseph whispered, "Don't move. Shhhhhh."

I couldn't help it; my hand went for my friend's arm, and I SQUEEZED. Hard. "Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ... it's. Right. There!" For the next 30 minutes, we sat absolutely transfixed.

We watched the lioness creep up on a warthog, which Joseph explained she had been eyeing from afar for lunch (lions are known for their keen eye sight and patience).

But the nearby impalas were on lookout and perhaps sent a signal to this little warthog, and the next thing we knew, the lioness was left alone and still hungry.

Over the course of the next two days, I saw elephants, entire families of them. I also saw many giraffes -- my other favorite animal on safari -- cutting such a stunning silhouette in the distance. Their long, regal necks and those eyelashes!

I watched lions sleeping in trees. I listened to the calls between wildebeests. At dusk on our drive back in, I even caught a glimpse of the rarest of all: a black rhino. Here I was, in their home.

And the Maasai people? They're known for their beadwork, their colorful dress (red is their signature color), the men's bent-leg stance, their strength, endurance and nomadic lifestyle. You never ask a Maasai warrior how many cattle he has; it's like asking someone how much money they've got in their bank account.

But it was the Maasai singing in their own tribal language -- welcome songs, songs for children, warrior songs -- that I marveled at, as this tradition has managed to survive centuries, despite the modernization of Africa even in remote parts like the Mara.

To hear and see them, and in particular the men, chant and jump was mesmerizing. But what I really came to appreciate: the modern Maasai who prioritize education.

They leave their villages for 21st-century jobs, but they almost always return home. Just like Joseph, our safari guide, they continue to give back, never forgetting their roots, their home.

The Masai Mara may not be my physical home. Nyang'oma Kogelo may not be my home. Kilimanjaro may not be my home. But home, for me, is not just a place but a feeling.

The warmth of Mama Sarah's house, the traditional villages of the Maasai, the unequaled view from Uhuru Peak: I have discovered, in opening my eyes and heart to these new experiences, I am always welcomed home.

Obamamania sweeps Kenya as resourceful businesses cash in on visit

Source: Finding the meaning of home in Africa

Britain and France Scramble as Migrants Keep Trying to Cross Channel

Photo Migrants walked along railway tracks at the Eurotunnel terminal in Calais-Fréthun, France, on Tuesday night. Credit Philippe Huguen/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

LONDON — They have reached Europe after often-treacherous journeys, usually across the Mediterranean. They have dodged the authorities as they made their way northward toward their ultimate goal, Britain. But now, thousands of illegal migrants, refugees from war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, find themselves bottled up at one final choke point in northern France: the entrance to the Channel Tunnel.

Over two nights this week, their desperation and frustration have flared to new levels as they have tried in far larger numbers than normal to breach the security around the tunnel and hide themselves amid the trucks and freight being shuttled by rail from Calais to southern England.

The French police said there had been about 2,100 attempts by migrants to gain access to the tunnel on Monday, and Eurotunnel, the company that operates the 31-mile English Channel crossing, put the number for Tuesday night at about 1,500.

At least one migrant, believed to be a Sudanese man, died in the attempts this week. An unknown number slipped through, the authorities said. Most of those who tried were caught and turned back — free, by and large, to try again.

Continue reading the main story

The governments of France and Britain were scrambling to shore up defenses around the tunnel and deal with the latest political and economic reverberations in Europe's escalating migrant crisis.

The French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, sent 120 additional police officers to Calais on Wednesday and described the city, a port on the English Channel, as "a mirror of the conflicts and crises that are tearing some of the world's regions apart."

In London, British ministers and other officials held emergency talks as pressure mounted for a more robust response to a situation that has disrupted trade and tourism and put tw o of the world's wealthiest nations at the center of the debate over how to cope with a seemingly unstoppable tide of migrants seeking a better life.

Mattia Toaldo, policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, a research institute, said there would "be more of these flash points, because the number of migrants is growing, and to much higher numbers than in the past."

Calais has joined other spots in Europe that are becoming synonymous with the Continent's inability to halt the flow of migrants into its territory and agree on a way to handle those who make it. They include the islands of Lampedusa in Italy and Lesbos in Greece, where many migrants first land; the fence that Hungary is erecting along its border with S erbia, the latest effort to stop them from migrating northward; and towns like Ventimiglia, Italy, on the border with France, where the authorities are making it harder for them to proceed.

"What we are seeing is the result of the European Union not being able to handle the migration crisis in the way that they should," said Camino Mortera-Martinez, a research fellow at the Center for European Reform, a research institute.

Continue reading the main story Video Migrant Crisis in Calais Worries Cameron

Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain said his government was working closely with the French authorities to secure the city, where thousands of migrants have tried to enter the Channel Tunnel.

Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images. Watch in Times Video »

"Everyone is blaming each other for not handling the crisis properly," she said. "The Italians and Greeks are blaming everyone else for not helping them. France is blaming Italy for giving documents to asylum-seekers, without checking them properly, so they can move on."

The English Channel is a focus of the broader European crisis because many migrants are trying to travel to Britain, where they believe they will find it easier to secure work. The country also appears more attractive because Britain does not operate an identity card system and because many migrants speak some English.

Calais is c ertainly feeling the strain. Eurotunnel said in a statement on Wednesday that it had intercepted more than 37,000 migrants since January.

Emmanuel Agius, deputy mayor of Calais, said in an interview on Wednesday that the city would like help from the United Nations to deal with the migrants, and he called for a summit meeting with the leaders of Britain and France to address the situation.

"The city is continuing to suffer from this issue, economically and tourism-wise," he said. Like other French officials, he suggested that Britain needed to do more to make itself a less appealing destination and to control the migrant flow on its side of the English Channel.

That sentiment has provoked a political reaction in Britain, where the government's ability to police its frontiers has been questioned and where frustration with what many see as an insufficient response by France is growing. On Wednesday, Nigel Farage, leader of the populist, right-wing U.K. Independence Party, said the option of calling in the army to search incoming vehicles should "absolutely" be considered to help resolve a "lawless, scary" situation.

Continue reading the main story Graphic The Global Struggle to Respond to the Worst Refugee Crisis in Generations

Eleven million people were uprooted by violence last year. Photos and maps show the international response to what has become the worst migration crisis since World War II.

Trucks leaving Britain have been forced to wait hours, and vacationers have also faced significant delays after the surge in efforts by the migrants to cross the Channel, which Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain said was "very concerning."

"I have every sympathy with holidaymakers who are finding access to Calais difficult because of the disturbances there, and we will do everything we can to work with the French to bring these things to a conclusion," Mr. Cameron said in remarks made from Singapore.

Britain has promised an extra 7 million pounds, or about $11 million, to help reinforce security on the French side of t he Channel, and Mr. Cameron was careful not to criticize the French authorities, upon whom the British rely to try to contain the migrant problem.

"There's no point trying to point fingers of blame," he said. "It's about working with the French, putting in place these additional security measures."

About 3,000 migrants have been living in and around Calais, most of them in a camp known as "the jungle," a squalid staging point for Afghans, Eritreans, Sudanese and other people who have made their way there in the belief that they can get across the Channel. From there, the migrants make regular efforts to get into the terminals where trucks wait for their turn to be loaded onto the rail lines that ferr y them under the Channel to Britain, hoping to hide in or under the trucks. The refugee who died this week was said to have been struck by a truck unloading from one of the rail carriers.

While many European Union nations take part in a passport-free travel zone, Britain does not. But the number of daily crossings from France to Britain makes the Channel Tunnel, and ferry ports, difficult to police. Truck drivers have complained of being threatened by groups of immigrants seeking to stow away on their vehicles.

Photo An aerial view of a field with makeshift shelters for migrants and asylum seekers in Calais, France. Credit Pascal Rossignol/Reuters

Gilles Debove, a police union official in northern France, said that until now, there had been only about 60 police officers patrolling the vast complex at night, where the migrants can often be spotted openly climbing over or cutting through security fences. "The pressure is constant, and the work is redundant: few arrests, just bringing the migrants off-site, only to see them come back several hours later," Mr. Debove said.

In a letter sent to the head of Eurotunnel, Jacques Gounon, that was seen by news agencies, Mr. Cazeneuve accused the company of not doing enough to ensure security.

But in its statement on Wednesday, Eurotunnel said , "The continuous pressure exerted every night is above and beyond that which a concessionaire can reasonably handle and requires a constructive and appropriate response from the governments."

Theresa May, the British home secretary, presided on Wednesday over an emergency Downing Street meeting of senior ministers and officials.

After meeting with Mr. Cazeneuve, her French counterpart, on Tuesday, Ms. May said the two countries were working to return illegal migrants to West Africa. It was, she added, vital to ensure that people knew they would not be able to make their journey into Britain illegally.

However, she gave few details of how such a program of repatriation would work. Critics point out that it is impossible to return migrants if they come from war-torn nations, including Syria.

Humanitarian organizations working in the camp near Calais have also argued that new fences and more police will do little to deter migrants who fled their home countries with no intention of turning back after making grueling trips across land and sea.

"The more construction there is and the more security there is, the more the migrants will be pushed back," said Anne Greff, a volunteer with the Secours Catholique in Calais. "But it wo n't prevent them from trying again."

Source: Britain and France Scramble as Migrants Keep Trying to Cross Channel

Africa Next Meetings Hot Spot, Study Suggests

by Matt Alderton | July 28, 2015

Because it was largely unknown and mysterious to the Western world, Africa in the 19th century was known as "The Dark Continent." Today, however, Africa is finally having its moment in the light -- especially among meeting professionals, a growing number of who see Africa as a viable and attractive destination for meetings and events, according to American Express Meetings & Events, which yesterday published a new study on Africa's growing viability as a meeting destination.

"As global companies expand and look to bring their meetings and events to emerging regions, such as Africa, meetings planners must consider a variety of factors when selecting their meetings destinations," said Issa Jouaneh, senior vice president and general manager, American Express Meetings & Events. "In looking at Africa specifically, our study provides the meetings and events industry unique insight into the perceptions and familiarity -- or lack thereof -- of planners with this region. We hope it can serve as a baseline from which the industry can consider opportunities for education and local insight."

Titled "Emerging Africa: Exploring Meetings on a Changing Continent," the study found that:

• Nearly 10 percent of global meetings held in the past two years took place in Africa;• More than half of global meeting professionals say interest in Africa as a meeting destination is growing;• Forty percent of global meeting professionals report at least some meetings activity in Africa;• Although most (60 percent) are familiar with North and Southern Africa, over half of meeting planners are unfamiliar with Central, West, and East Africa;• The number of planning hotel openings in 2015 is up 40 percent compared to 2013; and• More than a third (36 percent) of meeting planners expect airfares to African and average group rates for African hotels to increase by 2017.

The study also noted that planners in search of meeting destinations most value having s uppliers that they know and trust, and the ability to offer viable air transportation options for attendees; despite growth, many meeting professionals perceive large parts of Africa as lacking in these areas.

Concluded American Express Meetings & Events, "While Africa continues to face challenges, the economic growth and expansion of global and multinational companies continues to drive meetings and events activities to the region. To support the goals of these companies and deliver a successful meetings experience for attendees, this study can help meetings planners consider their own perceptions and gain insight to inform decision-making in the future. Suppliers -- including major hotel chains, airlines, convention centers, and local visitors bureaus -- have an opportunity to work together to clarify misperceptions and highlight those cities and countries within Africa that are strong destination candidates for meetings and events."

Check out the all-new MeetingNe ws Minute, featuring exclusive research on industry trends!

Source: Africa Next Meetings Hot Spot, Study Suggests

Pep Guardiola announces his future destination !

Pep Guardiola - Copyright : Via FC Bayern Munich official twitter: @FCBayern

It seems that the Spanish coach Pep Guardiola has finally decided to leave Bayern Munchen by the end of the upcoming season as announced by many press reports . Guardiola was highly linked to a possible departure to Manchester City last season but he finally decided to stay with the German champions for another season.

However , "Le Figaro " magazine said today that Guardiola told Bayern Munchen management that this season will be the last for him with Bayern Munchen. Former FC Barcelona coach said that he's willing to enter a new experience in the English Premier League.

His next destination will probably be the Citizens where he will be able to coach Yaya Toure , once again !

Copyright : Starafrica.com

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Source: Pep Guardiola announces his future destination !

South Africa not a hit destination for Indians anymore!

Kolkata :-

South Africa is not expecting any increase in tourist arrivals from India this year due to a change in visa regulations.

"In 2013, the total tourist arrivals from India was 127,000. Figures for 2014 are not yet available but since then our visa rules have changed. We are expecting the numbers to remain flat this year," South African Tourism's country head Hanneli Slabber said here.

Under the new visa rules, all visitors under the age of 18 years would need to carry an unabridged birth certificate in addition to passport and visa during their visit to South Africa.

Travellers to the country would have to make a personal appearance during visa application process, she said and hoped that tourists would soon get adjusted to the new regime and arrivals would start increasing in the coming years.

She said the scare due to Ebola disease has also affected the country's tourism industry.

"We never had Ebola incidents but people think otherwise," Slabber said.

Betting big on adventure tourism, the country has made a list of 130 adventure activities that Indians could opt for.

"Among all tourists, Indians show the highest interest in adventure. 20,000 Indians participate in bungee jumping from a height of 700 feet. We have more women than men participants. Even kids are looking for adventure appropriate for the age group," she said.

The other popular adventure sports are sky diving, shark diving and mountain trail.

Indians want upto four to ten activities in a day and their budget has also increased over the last four years, Slabber said.

Source: South Africa not a hit destination for Indians anymore!

Let’s think outside the box to sell Kenya as golf destination

A fortnight ago I spoke about the potential of golf tourism and how stakeholders need to think outside of the box when it comes to luring visitors to this amazing country of ours.

Well, it appears that a lot is being done behind the scenes on the continent as South Africa is set to host the Africa Golf Summit on from September 9 to 11 at the award-winning Serengeti Golf Club that is just 10 minutes away from the OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Johannesburg.

The estate is designed by Jack Nicklaus and will host professional and amateur golfers, sports, tourism and business professionals, along with government and private delegates. The Kenyan CEO of Africa Savannah Golf Limited Moses Gichohi will be a keynote speaker, joining renowned specialists from South Africa, the USA and the UK.

Important topics to be discussed include: developing a blueprint for a sustainable golf industry across Africa; growing a sustainable golfing community in Africa; and establishing a golfing centre of excellence to develop young talent.

Others are golf tourism and hospitality; golf sports development; golf estate and property development; golf course design, construction, operations and management; hosting golf tournaments to boost job growth, tourism and economic development.

So, as I mentioned in the beginning, the golf course at the venue is designed by 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus, and this is a key marketing tool that's missing in Kenya. Don't get me wrong, we have some amazing courses here, it's just that we need investments that feature the names of well known past and present golfers to add credibility to the country as a sporting and leisure destination.

Kenya will probably host the next summit if all key stakeholders in the local golf market work together towards growing the game and making it accessible to more Kenyans according to Gichohi.

The Africa Golf Summit would be a great opportunity for the Kenya Golf Union to sell Kenya as a golf destination to the continent and beyond, working mainly with the Ministry of Gender and Sports together with the Kenya Tourist Board and other key stakeholders like Brand Kenya.

Remember you can be a registered golfer in Kenya within 48 hours of typing the necessary details and get access to over 1,000 golf courses worldwide by visiting www.afgoa.com.

***I have been very critical of football in this column. However this past week has brought a refreshing twist in the performances of Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia at the Cecafa Kagame Club Cup in Dar es Salaam.

The team has defied financial difficulties to reach the quarterfinals and recruited a new set of fans at the Tanzanian coastal city.

There is speculation that President Uhuru Kenyatta will grace the final should K'Ogalo make it, and what a feel good factor that will be for football lovers, coming hot on the heels of the visit of US President Barack Obama to Kenya this weekend, as his family roots are from the same area of the country as Gor.

But first let the team get to the final of the tournament with in-demand striker Michael Olunga in red-hot form.

Not surprisingly, Harambee Starlets coach David Ouma blamed a lack of a time in South Africa for their one nil loss to Banyana Banyana in the first leg of their Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualifier last weekend.

The blame for this must lie squarely with the Football Kenya Federation, who's ineptitude meant that the team's visas were processed late and they arrived barely 24 hours before the game!

When will the federation get their act together? Probably never, as the list of shameful acts of negligence grows by the week. The elections are drawing closer, and the only hope for stakeholders is that there's a major house cleaning of the officials just like Nairobi's makeover for Obama's visit this weekend.

The Kenya Simbas continued to defy critics with a stunning win over Spain last Saturday, a match that brought back a much needed morale boost to a sport that's been dogged by negative publicity in recent months.

However the World Rugby ranking system brought much confusion to the public, with many fans and stakeholders struggling to work out if the country finally cracked the fabled "Top 25" that would guarantee automatic World Rugby funding and quality international match-ups.

Our boys face Namibia in Windhoek next weekend and a win will edge the team ever closer to the magic top 25 place in the World Rugby rankings.

We can only hope that this promising development continues into the next set of international matches in 2016 while our sevens team concentrates on qualifying for the Rio 2016.

Apart from the Obama Sevens in Siaya County, why are there no high profile sports events this weekend to celebrate the homecoming of Kenya's most famous son? Or does the sporting fraternity feel there is no marketing value in hosting competitions in his honour? Just a thought.

Source: Let's think outside the box to sell Kenya as golf destination

South African Tourism conducts 'Learn South Africa' Training Programme in India

South African Tourism hosted a Press Conference to talk about Tourism board's future plans and strategy in Kolkata on Thursday.

After successfully hosting Module V of its popular classroom training session Learn South Africa last year, South African Tourism commenced the sixth module of Learn SA for frontline staff of travel agencies in India from July 14th to Aug 4th , 2015. The interactive programme aims to intensify the destination awareness and understanding among the travel trade in India. Commencing in Goa, Learn South Africa is being held across 15 cities including tier-II markets.

South African Tourisms popular training programme Learn South Africa is back with its unique class room style training. Learn South Africa training programme was launched in 2010 with the objective to further intensify knowledge about South Africa as a destination, amongst the frontline staff of travel agencies.

Learn SA V in 2014 included training sessions and on ground education in South Africa.

With an aim to train 1600 Indian trade partners, Learn South Africa VI will cover the following cities this year Goa, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Delhi, Jalandhar, Lucknow, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Trichy, Bangalore, Cochin and Nagpur.

This year South Africa Tourism has offered a lucky draw for participants. One lucky travel agent from each city will get a chance to win an all expense paid trip to South Africa.

South African Tourism has invited select South African suppliers to take part in the training programme to facilitate a more collaborative and mutually beneficial learning environment. This will provide an opportunity to interact directly with the South African suppliers and better understand the varied product offerings that South Africa presents to the Indian travellers.

Commenting on the upcoming module of Learn South Africa, Hanneli Slabber, Country Manager, South African Tourism, India said, Based on our research, we noticed that behavior of Indian traveler is changing, they look for more experience based and memorable holidays than simple itinerarie s. Keeping in mind the recent change, South African Tourism is investing a lot of time in educating the trade partners on how they can maximize from the offerings available. We have received encouraging response for Learn SA each year which shows that it is a perfect platform to enhance trade partners knowledge on South Africa.

The participating suppliers for this year are Abercrombie and Kent, Tsogo Sun, Extraordinary, Private Safari, Emirates, TravCare, Accor Hotels, South African Airways and SST.

South African Tourism is the national tourism agency responsible for the marketing of South Africa as a preferred tourist destination.

Source: South African Tourism conducts 'Learn South Africa' Training Programme in India

Tourist Destinations That Are More Dangerous Than You Think

A group of twenty travelers were arrested by Chinese authorities last week in Mongolia on suspicion of having links to a terrorist organization.

The wealthy, mostly retired group of tourists, who are British, Indian and South African, were part of a 47-day organized tour of "Ancient China," and were arrested on Friday morning as they boarded a plane in the city of Ordos.

They had been visiting a nearby mausoleum dedicated to Ghengis Khan.

While Mongolia is known for its petty street crime towards tourists there has been little reason in recent years for travelers to avoid the region due to security concerns. Especially when on a guided tour.

The US currently has five citizens being detained abroad with dozens of others held without proper legal justification in the past decade. In many cases, the prisoners were merely tourists in the country where they have been held captive, whether by police or extremist groups.

While some places are unsurprisingly dangerous for tourists to venture, many high-risk countries may surprise you.

Dominican Republic

Stunning white sand beaches and warm crystal clear waters attracts thousands of tourists to this Caribbean paradise each year. However the Dominican Republic can be a very dangerous place for visitors. Foreigners are frequently targeted in criminal acts with reports of as many as 39 tourists being murdered over the past three years. The US State Department warns that the levels of professionalism within the local police is likely to vary wildly from that of the US, with common attempts to solicit bribes being reported along with incidents of them using excessive force.

Honduras

This beautiful, tropical and historically rich country is located on the Caribbean coastline of central America. It is a big draw to American tourists due to its white sand beaches, turquoise waters, lush jungles and ancient ruins, attracting tens of thousands of visitors from the US each year. But the country has incredibly high crime rates with 50 percent of the population (around 3.5 million people) living below the poverty line. In 2012, the UN office on Drugs and Crime rated Honduras as the country with the world's highest per capita murder rate. Just last year, a Canadian tourist and his stepson were shot and killed while visiting the country.

Related: 5 Caribbean Destinations You've Never Visited

Egypt

Despite Egypt's long standing reputation as a popular tourist destination,largely due to its spectacular ancient landmarks, the country has become more and more dangerous in recent years for visitors. With the high threat of terrorism and political instability leading to frequent violent protests, the country's main cities have become unsafe for locals and tourists alike. It has become illegal to photograph police stations, military facilities and other public buildings and law enforcement is indiscriminate during times of protest regarding who they arrest. In November 2011, three American study abroad students, were arrested and accused of being involved in the protests. The three young men were detained in an Egyptian jail for over a week before their release and deportation back to the US. The US State Department advises against travel outside of the city of Cairo.

Related: Egypt Is Waiting for You: What It's Like to Visit Right Now

Mexico

Almost 40 million tourists head to Mexico each year for it's year-round warm climate, spectacular beaches, turquoise water and ancient landmarks. But the country is one of the worst on earth for kidnappings. Violent, organized crime groups operating throughout the country have been responsible for multiple car jackings, kidnappings, robberies and even murders—many of which have involved US citizens. In May this year the US State Department issued a Travel Warning to tourists contemplating a trip south of the border, advising them to be extremely cautious when traveling within the country. Last year almost 1600 kidnapping cases were reported to authorities.

Related: 10 Best Places to Go in Mexico

Kenya

With it's spectacular savannas, snow-capped mountains and unrivaled wildlife, Kenya draws visitors, especially safari seekers, from all over the globe. In January, the US Government issued a worldwide caution about the continued threat of terrorist at tacks from Islamic extremists across the globe and Kenya was one of the countries highlighted. Terrorists in Kenya have been responsible for bombings and kidnappings involving US citizens in the past couple of years and visitors are advised to be extra cautious when traveling to the country. In April 2014, ISIS militants attacked a convoy in an attempt to kidnap a foreign humanitarian worker and in 2011, two European tourists were kidnapped and another killed within a month of each other.

India

Tourists to India are expected to abide by strict local customs and etiquette. As a visitor you are at risk from aggressive retaliation if these guidelines are not followed, especially in more rural areas. The country also struggles with anti-western terrorist activity that targets tourists. Past attacks have targeted public places and tourist attractions. In February 2013, a bus bombing in a commercial area of Bangalore killed 17 and injured 119 bystanders included many foreign n ationals. Frequent reports of sexual assault on foreigners have plagued the country and the US State department strongly advises against its female citizens traveling alone there. "Western women, particularly those of African descent, continue to report incidents of verbal and physical harassment by individuals and groups of men," reads the State Department advisory. "Known locally as 'eve-testing', these incidents of sexual harassment can be quite frightening and quickly cross the line from verbal to physical." 

—Sophie Forbes

This article was originally published by Yahoo! Travel under the headline Tourist Destinations That Are More Dangerous Than You Think. It is reprinted here with permission.

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Source: Tourist Destinations That Are More Dangerous Than You Think

Destination Health

Studies show that African Americans have higher rates of illness, disability and premature death.  The Center for African American health is trying to reduce those health disparities with the center's annual fundraiser, Destination Health. The program encourages participants to enjoy a healthy lifestyle and learn more about health and wellness programs available in the community. Reverend Rodney Perry and Executive Chef Keith Jones to talk about the fund raiser and why it is so important for our community. Recipes from Chef Keith's cooking segment are down below.

Destination Health," the walk, run, learn", will be held Saturday, July 25th in Denver's city park.  The events kick off at 7:30 a-m.  You can register in person or call 303-355-3423.

For more information visit http://caahealth.org/

Honey Smoked Salmon Bulgur Wheat Salad

Serves 6

1 pound Honey Smoked Salmon, at room temperature separated into 6 portions

1c bulgur wheat

1c vegetable stock or water

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium zucchini, small diced

6oz. shiitake mushrooms, small diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1 ½ c shelled edamame

1 bunch fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped fine

6 green onions, thinly sliced

4 large tomatoes, seeded and small diced

5 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of 3 lemons, freshly squeezed

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Place bulgur wheat in a large bowl and set aside. In a small sauce pot bring vegetable stock to a boil, then pour over bulgur. Place a tea towel over the bowl so the steam is unable to escape, set aside until cool. In a large sauté pan heat 3 tablespoons olive oil to medium high and add zucchini, mushrooms and garlic. Cook until just tender, stirring occasionally making sure not to burn any items. Add edamame and heat until just warm, no more than three minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Once all liquid is absorbed and bulgur is soft add the parsley, green onions, tomatoes, 5 tablespoons olive oil and lemon juice. Toss together until well mixed. Then add remaining cooked ingredients and toss again until it's well mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, place individual portions of salad on plate and flake portion of Honey Smoked Salmon on top and serve immediately.

NOTE: Original or Cracked Pepper flavored Honey Smoked Salmon would be excellent with this dish.

Honey Smoked Salmon Spicy Lettuce Tacos

Serves 4

1 pound Honey Smoked Salmon, at room temperature

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 ears corn, kernels scraped from cob or 1 cup frozen kernels defrosted

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1 cup pinto beans, cooked

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

1 small bunch green onions, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon old bay seafood seasoning

1 lime, juiced and zested

2 tablespoons agave syrup

2 tablespoons Sriracha

3 tablespoons cilantro, rough chopped

1 avocado, small diced

1 medium tomato, small diced

24 Bibb lettuce leaves

Separate the lettuce into cups and reserve. Heat oil in skillet until hot and sauté corn over medium-high heat until light and golden at the edges. Add garlic, beans and season with salt and pepper then cook for about 3 minutes until mixture is heated through. Add Honey Smoked Salmon, green onions, seafood seasoning, lime zest, agave, Sriracha and cilantro. Toss together until mixed thoroughly and remove to a serving plate. Dress the avocado with the lime juice. Serve the Honey Smoked Salmon filling with lettuce for taco building. Fill the lettuce with the smoked salmon mixture and top with avocado and tomatoes.

NOTE: You may use any flavor of Honey Smoked Salmon (Original, Cracked Pepper, Chipotle lime or Cajun)

Source: Destination Health

SBUX: Starbucks Explores the Wilds of Africa

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Starbucks (SBUX) made news last week, announcing a major push into sub-Saharan Africa.

The move isn't quite as exotic as it sounds at first glance; Starbucks is moving into the affluent areas of Johannesburg and not the wilds of the Serengeti plains.

But the move is significant nonetheless for SBUX because South Africa is the beachhead into the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, and this region is the last real frontier market of any size.

Starbucks is facing the same issues facing most of corporate America: The American consumer market is saturated, and with income failing to rise much over the past decade, there is a limit to the amount of revenue to squeeze out of existing customers.

You wouldn't necessarily know that by looking at Starbucks stock (it's trading near all-time highs and sports a bubbly valuation at 33 times trailing earnings and 5 times sales), but for SBUX to justify its valuation, it has to continue delivering growth. And in the next decade, growth means Africa.

Africa: The Final Frontier for SBUX Growth

Africa is the most promising investment destination of the next two decades; and while it won't be international conferences or "save the children" charity drives that make it happen, it will more likely be thanks to the industriousness of its own people.

I've made no secret of the fact that I'm a major Africa bull over the long term, and I'm serious when I say that "Africa is the new China." This was my rationale for recommending South African mobile phone giant MTN Group (MTNOY) in last year's Best Stocks contest. That didn't work out so well for me (unfortunately, I finished in last place). I was, alas, done in by the falling value of the South African rand.

But the macro story made sense then, and it makes sense now.

With the Chinese bubble now slowly deflating, and with India a chronic dysfunctional mess, the African continent is the only large geographic block with the potential for "Chinese-like" growth in the decades ahead. It's the last major investment frontier.

Let's look at the numbers: Per capita gross domestic product has more than doubled in the past decade, and two of the six fastest-growing economies in the world are in Africa.

Importantly for my investment thesis, Africa is developing a robust middle class for the first time in its history. According to estimates by the African Development Bank and the World Bank, Africa's middle class is already well over 300 million people, or about a third of the population. It's a block of consumers comparable in size to the middle classes of China and India. More conservative estimates put the number closer to 120 million people, but we don't need to split hairs. Whichever estimate you use, we're talking about a lot of consumers.

At this stage of development, an African middle-class consumer isn't comparable to an American middle-class consumer in terms of purchasing power. And they probably won't get there in our lifetimes. But with every passing year, more and more graduate to the "latte-sipping" class that has the disposable income to buy an overpriced cup of coffee at Starbucks.

If you're looking to play the long-term development of the African middle class, I still like MTNOY. You have currency risk, of course. But it's just about the most direct way I've found to invest in the very same consumers that SBUX is desperate to tap.

Charles Lewis Sizemore, CFA, is the chief investment officer of investment firm Sizemore Capital Management. Click here to receive his FREE weekly e-letter covering top market insights, trends, and the best stocks and ETFs to profit from today's best global value plays. As of this writing, Charles Sizemore was long MTNOY. 

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Source: SBUX: Starbucks Explores the Wilds of Africa

Nagy: Why is Obama going to travel to Africa?

As usual with our bitterly politically polarized country, reactions have been divided over President Obama's plans to visit Kenya and Ethiopia later this month. The official reason for his trip is to attend the annual "Global Entrepreneurship Summit" — which is being co-hosted this year by the U.S. and Kenya in Nairobi, which is Kenya's capital.

GES hopes to bring together more than 1,000 entrepreneurs from across Africa and the world to showcase the positive sides of Africa — as a center for innovation and an ideal destination for investment.

Obama will then go to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, to hold bilateral meetings with the Ethiopians and to meet with leaders of the African Union — which is headquartered in Addis Ababa. He will be the first sitting U.S. president to visit Ethiopia and the AU.

The naysayers have their points — some valid, some nonsense. For one, Kenya's corruption achieves world-class levels. He will be shaking hands with President Kenyatta and Vice President Ruto, who were both indicted by the International Criminal Court for their alleged roles in the widespread ethnic violence following Kenya's 2007 elections.

Ironically, the two were bitter political rivals at the time, each representing one of Kenya's two largest ethnic groups — the Kikuyu and the Luo. Obama's planned visit to his father's home in the Luo heartland will evoke criticism he is inserting himself into Kenya's highly charged ethnic politics.

In addition, Kenya's security environment is highly dangerous — due to incursions and infiltration by the Somali Islamist terror group al-Shabaab, which has been responsible for a number of violent outrages throughout Northern Kenya and Nairobi, the most recent being the April killing of 148 students at Garissa University in the north.

Finally, the visit will no doubt rekindle the "birther" controversy — that Obama was actually born in Kenya — making the Republicans look foolish in a new way to the majority of Americans.

The Ethiopian visit is also awash with controversy — especially since a significant part of the large Ethiopian diaspora in the U.S. is viscerally hostile to the current government in Addis Ababa. And it doesn't help that the incumbent government of Prime Minister Hailemariam won every parliamentary seat in recent elections while jailing members of the media and opposition politicians under terrorism charges.

But there are also valid reasons for this visit. During his first administration, Obama was roundly criticized by many, including me, for having visited Africa only once — and that for less than 24 hours.

At the same time, Chinese leaders visit Africa regularly, having realized the importance of that continent as a treasure house of commodities and energy, and appreciating its huge potential for imports — given the fastest growing global economies over the last decade have been in Africa. By 2050, Africa's population will double to 2.4 billion and contain one-fourth of the world's workforce.

Going to Ethiopia makes sense — it is a country that really matters. The second-most populous in Africa (with about 90 million) and almost twice the size of Texas, Ethiopia is enjoying rapid economic growth which should raise it to middle-income status by 2020. It is the linchpin of stability in a highly violent region (South Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Kenya, and Somalia) and has been an unflinching ally in fighting the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab Somali Islamists.

Ethiopia has also made huge strides in developing its university system. While it is nowhere near a model democracy, its political evolution has been positive — with each government less authoritarian than the one before. The youth, energy and dynamism of that nation is incredible, and it will be a long-term valuable US partner.

If democratic purity was the sole criteria for where Obama goes, then he would travel little — including missing some highly valued long-term US allies.

Kenya, similarly, despite its warts, is a country with huge potential which is under siege for its role in fighting al-Shabaab in Somalia. Nairobi is East Africa's commercial center, and Kenya has been a global leader in implementing mobile phone technology to allow people in remote areas or without bank accounts to pay bills and conduct other commercial transactions.

Of course, the real reason Obama picked Kenya is because of his heritage — and at this stage of his Presidency, he doesn't much care how his critics react to his travels. However, before one criticizes his wish to visit the land of his heritage, we need to recall when Kennedy, Reagan, and Clinton each visited theirs — Ireland — the public and media reactions were overwhelmingly positive.

Finally, an "inside the Embassy" perspective on Presidential visits: they are a huge pain! The delegation usually requires around 800 hotel rooms; the advance party arrives in one or more B-747s carrying everything from communications equipment to armored cars; and the presidential security folks usually could care less about maintaining smooth working relations with the host country counterparts; justifiably, their primary and only concern is the security of the visiting party.

The biggest egos rarely belong to the senior people; it's usually junior staffers who are ill-mannered, ill-tempered and treat the local embassy staff as incompetent servants. Everyone breathes a sign of relief on "wheels up" and the most positive thing said about such visits is nothing bad happened!

TIBOR NAGY is vice provost for international affairs at Texas Tech and served as U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia from 1999 to 2002 and to Guinea from 1996 to 1999.

Source: Nagy: Why is Obama going to travel to Africa?

SAA To Screen African Films On Long-Haul Flights

behance.net

South African Airways this week started screening African films on long-haul flights in an effort to expose an annual audience of 2 million international passengers to African film making, the airline said in SouthAfrica.info.

South Africa's film industry is booming and competitive, FinancialTimes reported in September. The country is becoming a destination for many of the world's top filmmakers.

But there is a growing focus on fostering local productions and local filmmakers, and making the sector less dependent on the whims of foreign projects.

SAA says it launched the African Choices Film Festival based on encouraging feedback from passengers who got to watch in-flight African films during a test phase.

African films will be screened by filmmakers from Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa, according to a prepared statement.

In three years, South Africa's film industry created more than 35,000 jobs and contributed 5 billion rand ($404.7 million) to the economy, according to Garreth Bloor, a Cape Town tourism, events and economic development expert.

"More than just showcasing the talent we hold on the continent, African Choices will serve as a photobook of African location potential for international filmmakers as well as indicating that the necessary support services are available, indirectly creating new opportunities both for skills development and sharing as well as commercially," said said SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali.

In July, SAA passengers can watch these South African films: "Die Windpomp (The Wind Pump)," "Elelwani," "Traitors," "Stuur Groete aan Mannetjies Roux (Send Greetings to Mannetjies Roux)" and "Die Spook van Uniondale (The Ghost of Uniondale). Other films include "Des Etoiles" from Senegal; "Mke Mchafu" from Tanzania; and "B for Boy" and "The Entrapped" from Nigeria.

Other movies to be screened include U.S.-Nollywood collaborations: "When One Door Closes" and "Shameful Deceit," as well as the South African TV series, "Ashes to Ashes" and "The Mating Game."

"There is a myriad of talent in Africa," said SAA spokesperson Tlali, "and as a carrier with global reach and a platform to showcase the continental film industry, SAA is well positioned to support Africa's immense cultural wealth."

Cape Town Film Studios is a 5-year-old, $35 million state-of-the art complex that is part of South Africa's version of Hollywood.

Its CEO, Nico Dekker, told FinancialTimes he had to turn away 32 projects in less than a year including the fourth season of the U.S. TV series "Homeland."

"Sony's head was here," Dekker said. "Paramount, Disney, Warner — they beg me to build more studios."

But even the best local films struggle at the box office, according to FinancialTimes. South Africa had 780 cinema screens as of a year ago – the equivalent of 1.47 per 100,000 people. "This is partly a legacy of apartheid, when movie theaters only served the white minority. Even today, the most successful local films are Afrikaans productions," the FinancialTimes reports.

The plan is for SAA to screen African films throughout the rest of 2015 and seek out titles from all its African destinations, according to SouthAfrica.info.

Beyond attracting new audiences, in-flight screening of African films has the potential to contribute to local economies, Tlali said.

Sectors such as tourism, catering, logistics and hospitality will benefit. "The importance of developing audiences while also propagating the attraction of producing titles in Africa holds widespread benefit, particularly small to medium enterprises, while a well-developed industry affords several employment opportunities."

SAA's African Choices will screen in flight on all wide-bodied planes for incoming and outbound international flights from this week through the rest of 2015.

Source: SAA To Screen African Films On Long-Haul Flights

Seychelles Tourism Board and trade partners gear up for the upcoming South African road show

(Forimmediaterelease.net) The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) and 15 trade partners will be heading to South Africa next week to market the destination and generate business for the destination's product and services.

Destination management companies and travel agents 7 degree; Virtuoso onsite south, Beach Comber Tours South Africa, Thompsons Holidays South Africa, Seyunique South Africa, small and large hotels, Le Duc de Praslin, Avani Seychelles Barbarons Resort&Spa, Eden Bleu, Six Senses (Zil Pasyon), Hotels Resorts, Constance Hotels and Resorts, cruise operators Variety Cruises, and the national airline Air Seychelles have already signed in their participation fees for the roadshow.

Among the new faces, taking part in this year's Seychelles Tou rism Board South Africa's annual road show is a representative from the Seychelles Hospitality Tourism Association (SHTA), who will join with trade partners to market small grown Seychellois-owned properties.

The Seychelles Hospitality Tourism Association's participation in the South African road show has been made possible through the Seychelles Tourism Board's new mechanism to exempt the organization from paying trade fairs and road shows fees, in a bid to allow greater participation of small hotels in the international fairs and give visibility and value added to the country's home grown properties.

The Seychelles Tourism Board Director for Africa and the Americas, David Germain, said the participation of the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association is great news for the industry.

"We are very delighted that they have decided to take part, as there is a great demand for a great variety of accommodation options from consumers and trade in Seychell es," Mr. Germain said.

The South African annual road show is one of Seychelles' most popular marketing activities.

From July 21-23, trade partners will cross the South African main cities of Johannesburg, Durban and Cape to meet and network with over 300 travel agents.

The objective is to build Seychelles' presence in South Africa and have more travel trade professionals in South Africa selling the destination.

In 2014, the annual road show attracted 302 South African agents.

Mr. Germain said the upcoming South African road show will keep its promises of attracting the same number of agents, as South Africa has the potential for all segments in Seychelles, from high end to the affordable products.

"This road show is the perfect platform to showcase our products to the South African travel trade. Each year, the event gets bigger and bigger and helps greatly towards continued awareness of the destination," said Mr. Germain.

PHOTO: So uth African road show in 2014

MEDIA CONTACT: seychellesupdatednews@googlemail.com

Source: Seychelles Tourism Board and trade partners gear up for the upcoming South African road show

'Visa laws killed almost 1 000 jobs'

Article By: Megan Ellis Thu, 16 Jul 2015 3:26 PM A file image of passport stamps. Credit: Megan Ellis    

According to the Democratic Alliance, the new South African visa regulations have killed almost 1 000 job opportunities.

"It is estimated that the first two quarters of this year will see a drop of 70% in tourist arrivals," the DA's James Vos said in a statement.

"One of the main reasons given for this decline by the stakeholders I met with are the Visa regulations that came into effect in June this year."

Vos said that the Tourism and Business Council of South Africa calculated that every 12 tourists entering the country creates one job opportunity.

He said that South Africa has therefore lost 971 job opportunities based on the decrease in tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2015.

"It is clear that these regulations have a direct and devastating impact on tourism and the ability of our economy to create jobs," he said.

Vos said he had personally received an email from an "irate" director of a tour operator company which will no longer consider South Africa as a destination.

"Just last night I received an email from an irate director of a tour operator company, specialising in school sports tours to South Africa from the United Kingdom who have 2 400 students travelling to our country in the next few months," he said.

"After 11 of their number were denied boarding a flight to South Africa last night, due to a lack of communication from the South African embassy on visa requirements which they therefore could not comply with, 'they will not be considering South Africa as a destination in the future as a result of the current implementation of the Visa regulations and Immigration Act in South Africa'," Vos said.

Meanwhile advisory firm Grant Thornton has said that South Africa's tourism industry is in crisis, with an unprecedented drop in foreign tourist arrivals. Read the full story here.  

Source: 'Visa laws killed almost 1 000 jobs'

Campaign seeks to double Chinese visitors in Kenya

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Loving Africa International are holding a series marketing events to promote Kenya as a top safari destination in Africa.

The promotion activities which have also gained support from Kenya's ministry of East African Affairs Commerce and Tourism, China Southern Airlines, China Africa Friendship Association and Kenya China Travel and Tours are taking place in Wangfujing Street.

"The best season to visit Kenya is now, via Loving Africa International, the gateway of exploring wildness in Africa. The passion and commitment shared by Kenyans and their Chinese counterparts to cherish nature and protect wildlife will bring more sustainability" said Loving Africa International Chief Executive, Mr Zhang Yuanxiang.

The marketing events seek to double numbers of Chinese tourists to Kenya through joint efforts by showcasing the famous wildlife migration among other Kenyan tourist attractions.

Over the years, Chinese tourists have increased rapidly. Statistics from the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) shows that Kenya received around 41,000 tourists from China in 2012, a 10 per cent increase from the year before.

China is the second largest tourist source for Kenya in Asia, after India.

Kenya regards China as a pillar and emerging tourism market. Kenyan tourism marketers said they expect this to grow to surpass 100,000 by 2016.

Source: Campaign seeks to double Chinese visitors in Kenya

Forget sunny Spain, enchanting Thailand and the romance of France: Ethiopia is named 'World's Best Tourism Destination'

African country takes top spot in awards by the European Council on Tourism and Trade

The judging body paid compliments to the country's nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites 

Last year's winner was Zimbabwe, after it became the 'most sought after destination in Africa' 

By John Hutchinson for MailOnline

Published: 08:16 EST, 14 July 2015 | Updated: 09:15 EST, 14 July 2015

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It's time to brush up on your Amharic, the national language of Ethiopia, because the African nation has been named as the World's Best Tourism Destination for 2015.

It was given the award by the the European Council on Tourism and Trade, who praised its outstanding natural beauty, dramatic landscapes and ancient culture.

Thirty-one countries were considered for the illustrious award this year, with Ethiopia coming top of the pile.

Visitors walk past Bete Giyorgis, also called St George's Church, at the Lalibela holy site that was highlighted as being a key tourist spot

The lava lake of the small crater In Erta Ale Volcano is sure to be something people will remember seeing forever

And seeing the volcano at dusk, in all it's glory, might be the best bet for a unique photograph

THE NINE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES OF ETHIOPIA 

Aksum (1980)

Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar Region (1979)

Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town (2006)

Konso Cultural Landscape (2011)

Lower Valley of the Awash (1980)

Lower Valley of the Omo (1980)

Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela (1978)

Tiya (1980) 

Simien National Park (1978)

Ethiopia has nine UNESCO World Heritage sites, which were heralded by the commission.

Tourism was defined as a tool for poverty eradication, for local community development and for economic independence is a successful strategy.

Ethiopia's goal is to boost tourist revenues to $3 billion this year - in 2013 revenues from tourism were at $2 billion.

And, if it achieves that, it will start challenging the dominance of regional rivals on Africa's eastern seaboard, such as Kenya and Tanzania.

But instead of beach holidays and safaris, land-locked Ethiopia is promoting its imperial past - the below ground 13th century churches of Lalibela, hewn from solid rock, and the hill castles of Gondar - as well as its mountainous and majestic topography.

Visitor numbers have risen 12 percent a year in the past decade to reach 600,000 in 2014. The target at the end of this year is one million.

In the capital of Addis Ababa, the transformation from the starvation years and the 'Red Terror' purges of the 1970s and 1980s is plain to see. Cons truction is booming and a metro opens next year, cutting through the sprawling city -- the only such network in sub-Saharan Africa.

The commission praised the the excellent preservation of humanity landmarks such as: ruins of the city of Aksum- the heart of ancient Ethiopia, Fasil Ghebbi- the residence of the Ethiopian emperors during the 16th and 17th century, Harar Jugol- 82 mosques, 102 shrines, and unique interior design in the townhouses and Lalibela - holy site encompassing 11 medieval stone carved churches from the 13th century.

Konso Cultural Landscape (containing 55 kilometers of stonewalled terraces and fortified settlements), Lower Valley of the Awash-where humanity made his first steps and where was found the Eva of all mankind-Lucy fossil's, and Lower Valley of the Omo - containing fragments pertaining to early humanity development and the fossils of Homo Gracilis were also highlighted. 

'What Ethiopia offers to tourists, different from Kenya and Tanzania, is history and culture,' Tony Hickey, an Irish tour operator who first arrived in Ethiopia in 1973, said.

Harar is famous for its old town surrounded by ancient walls 'Harar Jugol' and has been listed in the World Heritage by UNESCO

Massive erosion over the years on the Ethiopian plateau has created one of the most spectacular landscapes in the world, the Simien (or Semien) National Park

Pilgrims in front of the Church of St George during the feast of the The Timkat (Coptic Epiphany), rock-hewn churches of Lalibela

He reels off names of the rich and famous for whom he has arranged Ethiopia tours, such as U.S. film director Oliver Stone and designers Calvin Klein and Donna Karan, visits which he believes are the result of changing perceptions of Ethiopia. 

Alongside the metro system in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is building a new railway to a port in neighbouring Djibouti and other lines, and will have expanded the road network to 136,000 km (84,400 miles) by the end of this year, from less than 50,000 km in 2010.

Hotel firms are also drawn by Ethiopia's rapid economic growth. The International Monetary Fund saw expansion of 8.5 per cent last year on top of years of double-digit rises.

Senator Ionel Agrigoroaiei, director of European Par liamentary Committee in the European Council on Tourism and Trade said that Ethiopia was the most deserving candidate due to its 'perfect record of promoting social-friendly tourism, ecological and poverty reduction strategy based on tourism.'

The winner of the award in 2014 was The Republic of Zimbabwe after it become the most sought after destination and the number one country in Africa, in term of tourism growth.

The most recent of these craters, Dallol, was formed during an eruption in 1926. Colorful hot brine springs and fumarolic deposits are found in the Dallol area

Weather wise, the hottest places on earth are the Dallol Depression in Ethiopia (pictured) and Death Valley in California

The gate at the entrance of the modern city of Harar with the portraits of Brejnev and of Fidel Castro surrounding general Mengistu's one

A man unrolls a skein of cotton thread near Shiro Meda market on July 10, 2014 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Source: Forget sunny Spain, enchanting Thailand and the romance of France: Ethiopia is named 'World's Best Tourism Destination'

Goan tour operators learn about South Africa

Panaji: South African tourism's training programme 'learn South Africa' for tours operators kick-started on Monday.

The training programme will be conducted in 15 cities until August 4 targeting 1,600 travel agents in India. Around 1.26 lakh Indian tourists visit South Africa every year, included 4.7 % tourists from Goa, with interest in marine activities.

After training commenced, Hanneli Slabber, country manager, South African tourism, said that this year they have offered a lucky draw for participants and one travel agent from each city will get a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to South Africa.

With 'learn South Africa' for travel agents, South African tourism expects an increased footfall starting 2016. Slabber said it is a unique classroom-style training introduced to enable travel agents to market South Africa better. Taking into consideration recent changes in the profile of tourists, she said they have invested a lot of time in educating the trade partners on how they can maximize what's on offer. "We have been receiving an encouraging response each year which shows that it is a perfect platform to enhance trade partners' knowledge on South Africa.

Commenting on Indian tourists, she said female visitors from India show more interest in adventure activities than their male counterparts. "Based on our research, we notice that the behaviour of the Indian traveler is changing; they look for more experience-based and memorable holidays than simple itineraries," she added.

She added that it is not difficult to change their tour packages to suit Indian needs. They can include Indian food, demands for late meals for the benefit of tourists.

She said there are around 300 restaurants alone in South Africa that serve Indian food, and recently chefs have also introduced Jain food and it is a big hit.

The tourist destination plans to introduce visa-on-arrival facility for Indians soon which will add to the travel experience.

Stay updated on the go with Times of India News App. Click here to download it for your device.

Source: Goan tour operators learn about South Africa

Cape Town voted one of the best cities in the world

Travel+Leisure magazine has released its list of top cities to travel to in 2015, and Cape Town has been ranked among the best.

The South African city was ranked as the 9th best city in the world, according to the magazine.

The "World's Best" awards are determined by popular vote among the publication's readers via survey, where people were asked to rate various aspects of their journeys.

The scores represent indexed averages of responses concerning applicable characteristics.

Specifically, the world's best cities were determined by looking at Sights/landmarks in and around the city, culture/arts, restaurants/food, people/friendliness, shopping, and overall value.

Cape Town is seen as South Africa's prime destination for travelers, having been ranked among the top cities in the world by several global travel publications, including Conde Nast.

While Johannesburg serves as the primary destination for business travelers, and linking flights into other locations in Africa, according to MasterCard, Cape Town is consistently voted as the top holiday and tourist destination in the country.

Here are the top 10 cities in the world, by popular vote from some of the magazines over 3 million readership.

1. Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto

2. Charleston, USA

Charleston

3. Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap

4. Florence, Italy

Florence

5. Rome, Italy

Rome

6. Bangkok, China

Bangkok

7. Krakow, Poland

Krakow

8. Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona

9. Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town

10. Jerusalem, Israel

Jerusalem

# City Country Score 1 Kyoto Japan 91.22 2 Charleston USA 89.84 3 Siem Reap Cambodia 89.57 4 Florence Italy 89.43 5 Rome Italy 88.99 6 Bangkok China 88.91 7 Krakow Poland 88.69 8 Barcelona Spain 88.59 9 Cape Town South Africa 88.27 10 Jerusalem Israel 88.18 More on cities

Cost of living: South African cities vs the world

South African cities with the best quality of life

Joburg and Cape Town climb global cities index

These are the best places to visit in South Africa

Source: Cape Town voted one of the best cities in the world

South African Airways long-haul partnerships: Hong Kong JV and re-examining Qantas opportunities

© CAPA

Partnerships have been an important part of South African Airways' long-haul restructuring and will continue to shape changes as SAA seeks to bring its long-haul network to profitability. A joint venture with Cathay Pacific covering the Hong Kong-Johannesburg route is the likely next step.

A strategic solution for Hong Kong has been outstanding since SAA cancelled its Beijing service and dropped Mumbai as part of a partnership with Etihad Airways. In addition to its new Etihad partnership, SAA is looking to grow its pre-existing partnership with Emirates but denies reports Emirates was going to buy a stake in SAA.

SAA also wants better access to Sydney, and has considered various options to place its metal in Australia's largest city but would prefer to find a partnership with Qantas that regulators will approve. Expected regulatory rejection prompted Qantas to end a 14-year codeshare with SAA in early 2014.

South African Airways needs more partnerships

This is Part 3 in a series of reports examining the outlook for SAA.

The first report analysed the ongoing attempts to turnaround the carrier's highly unprofitable long-haul operation. The second report looked at the outlook and position of the SAA Group (including budget subsidiary Mango) in the domestic and regional international markets as competition with LCC intensifies.

See related reports: 

As CAPA previously highlighted, South African Airways (SAA) has been making significant changes to its long-haul network since the beginning of 2015 as part of a turnaround plan. In recent years SAA's domestic network has seen profitability while intra-Africa international services have been highly profitable and long-haul has been highly loss-making.

In early 2015 SAA decided to suspend services to Beijing and Mumbai from Mar-2015 while forging an expanded partnership with Etihad Airways. More recently SAA decided to switch the stopover point on some of its Washington Dulles flights from Dakar to Accra.

New partnerships and expansion of existing partnerships (in addition to the already concluded deal with Etihad) are an important component of the new SAA business plan which remains unfinished. A solution for North Asia, where SAA now only serves Hong Kong following the suspension of Beijing, is particularly pressing.

Cathay Pacific JV for Johannesburg-Hong Kong could help SAA cover North Asia

Hong Kong is SAA's fourth largest non-stop international route based on ASKs. It is also its fifth largest overall route including domestic flights. Cape Town-Johannesburg is SAA's third largest route overall based on ASKs and no other domestic routes are in SAA's top 10.

Hong Kong is SAA's only Asian service after it cancelled Mumbai and Beijing. SAA interim CEO Nico Bezuidenhout told CAPA that SAA is examining options for a joint venture covering Hong Kong. The options include working with Cathay Pacific or Hong Kong Airlines. A final decision has not been announced but is expected to be made within a few months.

Cathay is the more logical partner by far. Unlike Hong Kong Airlines, Cathay operates to Johannesburg with one daily 777-300ER service. Johannesburg is Cathay's only destination in Africa.

Cathay could provide numerous connections to Japan, which accounts for approximately 25% of SAA's beyond market.

Despite Japan's importance, SAA has ruled out Japanese service as such a flight would not be profitable.

Hong Kong is also the third largest international market for All Nippon Airways (ANA), which like SAA is a member of Star Alliance. Star carriers generally have to try to work with each other before seeking external partnerships. But SAA does not see ANA providing a solution for SAA's Hong Kong service as ANA would cover only Japan, an important - but not the only - beyond market.

ANA has fewer services than Cathay between Hong Kong and Japan in terms of city pairs and capacity. ANA also has strong point-to-point sales, making it difficult and expensive to secure codeshare seats. In early Jul-2015, Cathay and Dragonair operate approximately 39,000 weekly seats between Hong Kong and Japan compared to 7,000 from ANA.

A Hong Kong-based carrier would provide support for other Asian markets and would preclude needing to work with multiple carriers. Hong Kong Airlines sees limited service to Japan as its sister HK Express mostly serves the country, including the key cities of Tokyo and Osaka. HK Express is also a LCC and has not yet commenced partnerships although it plans to.

Asia-Africa market is growing but Asian airlines are becoming smaller

A Cathay partnership would also help SAA on their overlapping Johannesburg-Hong Kong service. Each serves the route daily, SAA with an A340-600 and Cathay a 777-300ER. Both have near midnight departure times from Hong Kong, arriving in Johannesburg in the early morning.

SAA's Johannesburg departure is in the late afternoon, arriving in Hong Kong at midday while Cathay leaves Johannesburg around midday and arrives in Hong Kong early in the morning. Each carrier's schedule allows it to reduce ground time at the foreign port.

The JV would consolidate some competition. In recent years Malaysia Airlines and Thai Airways have exited the African market. Korean Air's Nairobi service was performing weakly and was cancelled during the 2014 Ebola crisis.

Korean Air initially planned to resume its Nairobi service in mid-2015, but it has not eventuated and Korean Air has not yet filed schedules for it. 2015 was initially expected to see the entry of Air China (Beijing-Addis Ababa, Beijing-Johannesburg) and China Southern (Guangzhou-Nairobi) into continental Africa but Air China is now unlikely to launch Johannesburg.

Even with only the two new routes Asian carriers will begin to make up for the reduction in Asian capacity left by MAS and Thai's exit. Singapore Airlines (SIA) has also reduced capacity to Africa in recent years.

In 2007 and 2008, Asian carriers accounted for approximately 65% of the seats between Africa and Asia amongst major competitors (excluding fringe airlines like Afriqiyah and Air Zimbabwe, as well as carriers in the Indian Ocean). In 2015 the share will be only 25%.

Market share loss has occurred with net size loss. But the overall market has expanded as African carriers – namely Ethiopian and Kenya – have grown. Ethiopian Airlines alone accounts for 51% of the market, and has doubled since 2012. Kenya Airways has grown 32% since 2012. There is a slight contraction in the market in 2015 compared to 2014.

Ethiopian's size presents a challenge for Cathay and SAA, but there are marked differences: Ethiopian benefits from central geography in Africa while a combined SAA and Cathay would have the lesser advantage of feed around Asia.

Benefits could be outweighed by loss of competition on the not insignificant O&D market of Hong Kong-Johannesburg. In the Africa-Asia market, transits through the Gulf are circuitous but common given the lack of Africa-Asia travel options.

South African Airways remains uninterested in Beijing service. Air China had dithered on its Johannesburg launch

SAA has no plans for returning to mainland China as market conditions are likely to remain unfavourable. When SAA ended its loss-making Johannesburg-Beijing service in Mar-2015 it expected Air China would launch the route in May-2015 with a SAA codeshare.

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

Air China initially announced in early 2015 its intent to open Beijing-Johannesburg service, effectively done at the Chinese government's direction. But the launch has since been delayed and is now presumed to be cancelled. Air China attributed the delay to xenophobic attacks on Chinese in South Africa, as well as South Africa's unusual requirement for children to produce unabridged birth certificates.

Air China on 06-Jul-2015 restated its intent to launch the service from the northern winter 2015 season, three times weekly with 777-300ERs. But clearly Air China would prefer not to launch the route. While the route appeared cancelled, SAA's Mr Bezuidenhout affirmed SAA had no interest in resuming Beijing service, adamantly declaring that "the fundamentals of the route have most definitely not changed". SAA originally launched the Beijing service under South African government pressure.

South Africa's most recent visitor statistics are for Feb-2015 and show a 32% year-over-year drop in visitors from China (including Hong Kong), following a 52% drop in Jan-2015. This was before SAA's exit, xenophobic attacks and South Africa's changed entry requirements. These factors will further pressure Air China on what was already a route that had almost no chances of making a profit.

But the Johannesburg route holds strategic importance for Beijing. Likewise with China Southern's African service. China Eastern has also been told it needs a presence in Africa.

See related reports:

South African Airways hopes to revive a Qantas partnership

SAA's only other route besides Hong Kong in the broader Asia-Pacific region is Johannesburg-Perth. SAA operated the service until early 2014 under a block codeshare arrangement with Qantas' Johannesburg-Sydney service.

SAA and Qantas argued to regulators the South Africa-Australia market was too thin to support further competition. Australia began to cast doubt on the public benefits of cooperation and in 2012 renewed the cooperation for a short period rather than the five years the two airlines sought. It was understood the codeshare was unlikely to be further approved, prompting Qantas to end the partnership. Qantas has maintained Sydney-Johannesburg service while offering Perth passengers a link to Johannesburg via Dubai on partner Emirates.

SAA has maintained its Perth-Johannesburg service and forged a codeshare agreement with Virgin Australia which was implemented in Oct-2014. Virgin Australia had operated Melbourne-Johannesburg service (as V Australia) for a short period before CEO John Borghetti entered the airline and restructured the long-haul network, cutting the loss-making Johannesburg route.

Although Johannesburg was loss-making, it was still in its start-up phase and some expected it would eventually have become profitable. The possibility is slim for further South Africa-Australia competition.

Mr Bezuidenhout said the Virgin Australia partnership is working, and partnering with Virgin indirectly contributes to SAA's partnership with Etihad, which has a significant equity stake in Virgin. The Johannesburg-Perth service is currently profitable but SAA would in the medium term want to partner with Qantas under conditions regulators would accept. SAA would like a presence in Sydney and would ideally work with Qantas' existing route rather than place its own metal in Sydney as either a non-stop flight from South Africa or tag from Perth.

SAA's Emirates partnership to grow in addition to its new Etihad partnership. But no equity stake

SAA in Mar-2015 launched a partnership with Etihad Airways which led SAA to launch daily Johannesburg-Abu Dhabi service with onward Etihad codeshares to over 30 points, including 10 in India.

Prior to Etihad, SAA had a long-standing partnership with Emirates. In fact, SAA says it was Emirates' first codeshare partner. But the codeshare has always been limited to the services between Dubai and South Africa.

SAA does not plan to unwind the Emirates partnership and is looking at ways to grow it. However, SAA categorically denies media reports Emirates was close to acquiring a stake in the airline. Mr Bezuidenhout notes any selling of the airline is for the owners and is "beyond my remit" as CEO.

Although Emirates and Etihad are significant competitors, SAA sees gains from working with both, especially Emirates given its size. As CAPA previously wrote:

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.

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.

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

Partners are critical for SAA in its two other major long-haul markets, North America and Europe. SAA also serves Sao Paulo 10 times weekly, where Avianca Brazil's forthcoming joining of Star should provide some help in that market.

As CAPA previously wrote, in Europe, the London route has been accumulating large losses (approximately USD30 million per year) while Frankfurt and Munich have been performing much better but are affected by European economic weakness. SAA partners with Lufthansa in Germany but is lacking a strong airline partner in London, as is the case for many non-oneworld long-haul carriers into London. There is some tradeoff as SAA's London route sees higher O&D traffic.

In North America, SAA is able to codeshare with independent carrier JetBlue in addition to fellow Star carrier United Airlines. JetBlue is based at New York JFK, which SAA serves, while United had a limited presence at JFK and now plans to exit the market in favour of Newark.

From Washington Dulles, SAA's other North American point, JetBlue only serves Boston and New York JFK, creating difficulties for SAA to have partner options. United Airlines is the largest at Dulles but likely prefers to route African traffic over Lufthansa as part of their JV. Although Dulles is challenging, SAA believes it could maintain its presence there and open a third (unspecified) North American destination; but there are no immediate plans. New long-haul destinations in Asia-Pacific and Europe in the medium term are unlikely.

Long-haul is coming into focus, but re-fleeting necessary. HNA-Comair not a worry

SAA's partnership focus for long haul routes is sensible and was likely overdue. Through a combination of adjustments, SAA has been able to improve its long haul performance, but ultimately must replace its inefficient A340 fleet. SAA would like a decision in a year but this will likely be highly political and previous re-fleeting attempts failed. Some of SAA's network changes required significant political discussions.

There is much at play, but one element SAA is not concerned about is China's HNA Group purchasing a small 6.2% stake in South African competitors Comair, which operates as British Airways under a franchise agreement. SAA sees the Comair stake being part of HNA's fragmented airline ownership and believes the stake is "dormant".

See related report: HNA/Hainan Airlines buys 6.2% of South Africa's Comair, accelerating China-Africa aviation links

SAA still has some way to go, with the holdup still at the political level and not internal capability. However, the flag carrier is at a point where it can think about long haul growth in the long term, following a few years of cutbacks.

Regional Africa international growth is more promising financially. SAA had a small win with securing limited Dakar-Washington Dulles fifth freedom rights, but overall African air traffic rights remain elusive.

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Source: South African Airways long-haul partnerships: Hong Kong JV and re-examining Qantas opportunities