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Cape Town named best city in Africa and Middle East

The prestigious travel publication Travel + Leisure has ranked Cape Town as the top city in Africa and the Middle East for 2017. Travel + Leisure’s poll, an annual list of the finest destinations to travel to based on food, culture, shopping and more, is based on the feedback of travellers, and, for the 16th time, Cape Town has maintained …

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Libya’s Benghazi airport re-opens after 3-year closure

Benghazi’s international airport (Benina) has officially reopened for commercial flights amid a heavy security presence after a three-year closure. The airport had been closed due to fighting in the city in the summer of 2014. According to Reuters, the first outward bound flights from Benina Airport on Saturday were to the capital, Tripoli, to Amman, Jordan, and to the south-eastern …

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Two German women killed at Red Sea resort as Egypt’s tourism takes another blow

Two German female tourists have been stabbed to death while four other foreigners were wounded in an attack at a hotel in the popular Red Sea resort of Hurghada. The terror attack on Friday (14 July) came hours after a shooting near the famous pyramids outside Cairo killed five policemen. The motive behind the stabbing was unclear and Egypt’s Interior …

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Africa to launch single air transport market in 2018

An African single air transport market will be launched in January 2018, with 40 plus countries expected to be signatories by then. So far, 20 African countries out of 55 have subscribed to the single air market, announced David Kajange, the head of the transport and tourism division at the African Union (AU). Speaking recently at the 29th AU summit, …

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These are Africa’s most powerful passports

Visa-free travel is something many of us take for granted in today’s increasingly interconnected world. But for many Africans this modern luxury is much more of a lottery, with citizens of some African countries enjoying similar travel rights to Europeans, while others fare little better than residents of war-torn Syria. Citizens of the Seychelles have the most travel freedom among …

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EU and US discuss laptop ban on flights

US authorities have discussed an in-cabin laptop ban on transatlantic flights from the EU following a meeting with their European counterparts in Brussels. Officials from both sides of the Atlantic on Wednesday (17 May) agreed to meet again next week to work out the technical details, but said no definitive decision had been made. A senior Trump administration official told …

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Organisation launches campaign for border-free travel in Africa

Young people from across the continent, meeting in Durban, have joined forces to champion visa-free travel in Africa for Africans. African members of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers community have launched the Durban Agreement on Open Africa to champion an open and border-free continent. The initiative will support the work of the African Development Bank, among others, in promoting …

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Here are the 10 Best Travel Destinations in Africa for 2017

The world’s largest travel advisory and booking website TripAdvisor has released the result of its survey of travellers’ choice of destinations in Africa for 2017. Winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for hotels, restaurants and attractions in destinations, gathered over a 12-month period, as well as travellers’ booking interest …

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President Akufo-Addo criticises British Airways for taking Ghanaians for granted

British Airways has come under fire from President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana for the way it treats customers. In what counts as a major embarrassment for the airline, the Ghanaian leader criticised “the quality of the planes and the service” on the Accra-London-Accra route.   The president made the grievances of Ghanaians known when the Head of Middle East, Africa …

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Nigeria’s Abuja Airport reopens after six weeks of closure

The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, has formally reopened for operations after six weeks of closure. The airport was closed to allow for the repair of its only runway. On Tuesday, an Ethiopian Airlines Airbus A350-900 became the first plane to land on the repaired runway. The new plane landed at about 12:10 p.m. Local Nigerian airlines, including Medview and …

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EU tightens checks on Schengen borders to fight terror

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 …

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Nigeria’s Abuja Airport extends runway repairs

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, …

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US, UK limit electronic devices on flights from Middle East and North Africa

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 …

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6 reasons why you should visit Ghana, by Tourism Minister

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 …

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Why Gambia is now more attractive than ever as a tourist destination

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 …

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Hundreds of flights cancelled in Berlin Airports’ strike

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 …

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