Travel

 Travel websites that advertise rock bottom deals for flights and hotel bookings are not giving customers ‘accurate’ information. A European Commission report on online travel booking says two-thirds of the websites screened displayed misleading prices. Of the 352 price comparison and travel booking websites checked in October 2016, the Commission found 235 gave prices that were not reliable. The scrutiny …

Be prepared for possible delays if you are planning to travel in or out of Europe’s Schengen zone, the EU’s 26-nation free travel area. New legislation has come into effect to tighten border controls across the EU, with a particular emphasis on countries at the Schengen’s external borders. Stricter checks commenced on Friday and the EU says they are needed …

On 26 March, Brussels Airlines commenced the summer season with new destinations and higher flight frequencies. Highlights of the schedule are the launch of new routes and the growth of the European network with new African destinations. Abidjan will be served daily during the summer season, instead of 6 times weekly. Accra’s frequency increases from 4 to 5 flights a …

In a bid to make travelling to the country easier and attract foreign investors, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has launched an online Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) system. Visa on Arrival is a class of short visit visa issued at the port of entry. The new immigration service allows for visa applications without having to visit a Nigerian mission and can be …

Runway repairs at Nigeria’s Abuja Airport are now expected to last a further 18 weeks after it reopens on 19 April, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced. The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Nigeria’s capital has been closed since 8 March for extensive repairs to its runway. Flights are currently using Kaduna Airport while Abuja is closed, …

The US and UK have issued directives to stop passengers from taking personal electronic devices in carry-on bags on flights from some countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a directive on 21 March which applies to ten airports and nine airlines. Passengers flying to the US from these airports will …

Ghana marketed its treasures of beautiful hinterland, sunny beaches, rich culture, lively cities and rich wildlife at the International Tourism Bourse (ITB) Berlin, which held from 8-12 March. Considered one of Africa’s true success stories, Ghana is enjoying a stable democracy and incredible development. It’s also becoming a preferred destination of leisure travel on the continent. Ghana’s delegation to the …

Now that the democratically-elected President Adama Barrow has started working in earnest, peace and normalcy has returned to this beautiful country and therefore, it is most apt to invite the visitors, including foreign tourists, to return to our shores, writes author Hassoum Ceesay! Indeed, we have to apologize to all those tourists who had their beautiful stays rudely disrupted in …

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled at Berlins’s two airports, causing further misery for passengers already hit by industrial action last week. Ground staff downed tools once more on Monday in a dispute over pay. Initially a one-day walkout, it has now been extended to Wednesday morning. A spokesman for Berlin airports said that almost all flights were cancelled on …

Saturday (11 March) was Ghana Day at the International Tourism Bourse (ITB) Berlin, the world’s largest travel trade exhibition. It was a day when the spotlight was shined on the West African country at the fair and Ghana did not disappoint as it put up a beautiful cultural show. Hundreds of fair visitors besieged the Ghana Stand to watch a …

Most flights at Berlin’s Tegel and Schönefeld airports will be cancelled on Friday as ground handling staff strike in support of a pay claim. Ground staff will walk off the job from 04:00 on Friday until 05:00 on Saturday, the Verdi union said after a ballot of members voted 98.6 percent for industrial action. Lufthansa said it has cancelled all …

Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport officially closed yesterday for a six-week repair. The closure will last six weeks to allow for a comprehensive maintenance of the airport runway, according to the Nigerian government. The decision to shut the airport and divert Abuja-bound flights to Kaduna, an airport used primarily for domestic flights about 160 km to the north, was taken …

Nigeria is advising its citizens against all but essential travel to the United States because of the lack of clarity on new immigration rules, the government said on Monday (6 March). A special adviser to the president on foreign affairs, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said in a statement that Nigerians “without any compelling or essential reasons” should consider delaying. “In the last …

Air France now offers three weekly flights on the Accra-Paris route. The flights, departing from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, are operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. “These three weekly flights will strengthen Air France’s presence in Africa as well as the Air France-KLM Group’s presence, as KLM already flies daily from Amsterdam to Accra,” Frédéric Gagey, Chairman and CEO of …

Botswana is the official partner country of ITB Berlin this year and #ilovebotswana is the slogan of the opening ceremony.

  Renaissance Hotels, a worldwide brand of hotels and resorts owned by Marriott International, has announced the opening of its first hotel in Sub-Saharan Africa – the Renaissance Lagos Ikeja Hotel located in Nigeria’s commercial centre. Mark Satterfield, chief operating officer, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International said: “We are delighted to mark the debut of Renaissance Hotels in Nigeria …

British tour operator Thomas Cook started evacuating nearly 1,000 holidaymakers from Gambia on Wednesday (18 January) after President Yahya Jammeh declared a state of emergency on his final day in office, increasing the chances of civil unrest. In a statement on its website, Thomas Cook said it had activated its contingency plans and was laying on extra flights in the …

Ethiopian Airlines has concluded preparations for new flight links to Chengdu, the capital of China’s Sichuan province. The carrier will launch the three weekly flights on 3 June 2017. Chengdu is the seventh largest city in China and is the country’s western centre of logistics, commerce, science, and technology, as well as a hub of transportation, manufacturing, and communication. Group …

Nigeria plans to close the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in the capital Abuja for six weeks from 8 March to repair its runway, the aviation ministry said on Tuesday, 3 January, pushing the move back later than previously scheduled. No reason was given for the change of date. The closure is to allow extensive runway repairs which will last for six …

Lufthansa said on Thursday it was exercising an option to buy the remaining 55 per cent of Brussels Airlines for 2.6 million euros ($2.7 million), and integrate it as a subsidiary of Eurowings, in a move seen to further strengthen the budget carrier’s market position. The purchase was previously approved last September by the Board of Lufthansa Group. The German …