This brand new week, we bring you our fresh new weekly Top Ten (10) digest for the most important things in Uganda’s Tourism, the world of Aviation and Travel that have trending especially in this COVID-19 Era. As always, we will be giving you highlights that make News rounds all through from start of the week. Below is our Weekly Newsletter for your readership.
01. The African Aviation Battlefield: Ethiopian Airlines vs Kenya Airways vs SAA
The African aviation market has seen plenty of change in the past years. As South African Airways’ situation has worsened, that of Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways has improved. The two have battled to become the leading hub in East Africa. Ethiopian Airlines has moved ahead now, but this was not always the case. This article looks at this battle through the story of each of the three airlines.
South African Airways stands out historically as one of the oldest airlines in Africa, and a leading international carrier. It has suffered setbacks, though, first with apartheid and later financial problems. It is currently grounded, with uncertainty over when it will get back in the air.
02. How IATA’s Travel Pass will help eliminate vaccine Certificate
With vaccinations and COVID test status being paper-based in so many countries, the potential for fraud and fakery is high. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says that its Travel Pass could ‘all but eliminate’ this problem by providing verified, secure status proof that is tied to our digital identity. But without global recognition of a standard like the Travel Pass, successful resumption of widespread travel remains in jeopardy.
03. Emirates Airline commands staff to vaccinate or pay for COVID-19 tests
Emirates reportedly ordered its staff to take a free COVID-19 vaccination or to undergo regular testing in order to ensure that none of the employees are infected with the virus.
According to the internal letter to the staff seen by media, Emirates asked all of its unvaccinated employees to take free vaccination.
For those who refuse to get vaccinated, the airline ordered them to pay for their own regular testing procedures. The price for tests in Dubai, where the air carrier is based, costs up to $40.
04. British Airways A380 fleet to return to the skies, CEO says
With carriers determined to save costs amid the crisis currently hitting the air transport industry, the Airbus A380 has been one of the prime targets among wide-body airliners heading to retirement.
Lufthansa (LHAB) (LHA) and Air France already announced that their Super Jumbos would not return into service.
But British Airways’ twelve A380s may not join their brethren. Sean Doyle, CEO of British Airways, announced that the A380 would eventually return to operations.
05. UTB Celebrates Women’s Day with Take on the Pearl Campaign – Trip 3 in the Wild
UTB joined the rest of the world in celebrating the International women’s day under the theme Women in leadership: achieving an equal future in a Covid – 19 world through its current digital campaign dubbed Take on the pearl with love.
A group of six women were flagged off on 5th March, 2021 from the Talent Africa offices in Kamwokya amidst excitement and jubilations as they boarded the van and set off to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest and oldest conservation area, hosting 76 species of animals and 451 birds.
06. Guide2Uganda Profiles: One on One with Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Group
When I go back to the early part of the new millennium, when I took this role, I had been part of a team that had established a business model in the late ‘80s and through the ‘90s, which turned out to be one of the most disruptive business models, given the landscape in which it was introduced. And I was part of the original team there that executed, designed that and built it. So when I became president, it was a question really of scaling that business model. It had been so successful. And I guess I have, since I’ve been in this role, continued to grow the business significantly and successfully, but always remaining focused on that business model. So if anything, the effect that that had on the aviation industry during the course of the growth of the Emirates was pretty profound.
File Photo: Sir Tim Clarke – Emirates Group President.
07. Upset travelers reveal Air travel restrictions ‘Have gone too far’
Nearly 70 percent of people say restrictions have impacted quality of life as new survey reveals frustration at quarantine measures.
A new survey has revealed the levels of frustration people across the world have felt at not being able to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The world was plunged into lockdown a year ago and travel restrictions have been in place ever since with strict quarantine rules and border closures designed to curb the spread of the virus, which has killed around 2.6 million people.
But according to a new poll by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), many people feel frustrated with the loss of freedom to travel with nearly 70 percent of people saying their quality of life is suffering.
08. KLM denies Kenyan Kayakers from boarding, hopefuls could miss Olympic participation
A team of kayakers from Kenya hit a snag with their bid for Olympic participation. The team, traveling from Nairobi to Barcelona via Amsterdam, were denied boarding by KLM at the airport due to an issue with the visa. With new quarantine rules effected starting last Saturday, it seems the squad will miss out on attending the qualifiers.
A team of Olympic hopefuls from Kenya have had their chances of qualification for the Tokyo Games dashed after the squad was denied boarding passes for their flight to Amsterdam. Samwel Muturi, Levias Karanja and Daniel Chomba were heading to the Netherlands on KLM and hoping to connect on to their final destination of Barcelona in Spain.
09. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary’s Empress Nandi succumbs to strange illness at 22 years
Ridiculous news befalling Uganda’s Tourism sector at the start of the year 2021 indicates that Ziwa Rhino sanctuary part of the most long lived Rhino by the names of Nandi died at the age of 22 years after battling a strange illness.
According a press statement issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority – Nandi breathed her last on February 28th 2021.
The statement also reveals that, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary’s most adorned female Rhino deceased on the night of the February 28th 2021
Nandi’s death follows a similar recent death of her daughter Achiru who deceased on January 17, 2021.
File Photo: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary’s part of the oldest Empress Rhino – Nandi died last month.
10. POATE 2021 launches, upto 200 Tourism product Exhibitors across the World to showcase Online
The Uganda Tourism Board has announced the 6th edition for the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo scheduled to take place between the 23rd to 25th April 2021 via digital platforms, this years’ exhibition unlike the previous versions will be one of a kind as more than 200 exhibitors will showcase their Tourism products online given the existence of the Covid – 19 pandemic.
This year running under the theme; Rebuilding, Reconnecting and Rebooting of the Ugandan Tourism sector given the negative effects brought about by the deadly Coronavirus on the biggest foreign exchange earner for the Country – the three day event will be the first ever in the history for the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo to go digital since inception all aimed at reviving the industry on the road to recovery.
About Guide2Uganda
Guide2Uganda (www.guide2uganda.ug) is the most comprehensive source of travel information about Uganda that exists on the web, with more content on its cities & towns, accommodation, attractions, events, museums and galleries than any other online guide that currently exists for Uganda; as well as being a dynamic travel news and events driven site with fresh content added daily.
According to WeFollow & Peer Index (that measure online influence), we are among the most influential online media organizations in Uganda. Guide2Uganda was also awarded ‘’Best Destination Website in Uganda’’ by Jumia Travel Uganda in the 2018 Africa Travel Awards.
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