Andrew Stegmann

SA regulations: ‘Laughable but not funny’ – international operators

International operators have called South Africa’s regulations for travelling minors “bureaucratic” and “laughable”. The operators were responding to astory by Tourism Update detailing families being denied boarding on flights to South Africa.

A UK tour operator said he lost a booking to the value of R400 000 (€25 000) as a result of the regulations. “The lady involved went through a messy divorce and when we advised her of the regulations she said there was no way her ex would sign the necessary paperwork, so no point in carrying on.” He added that, as a result, the family would travel to the US instead. “How many people discount SA as a destination and don’t even enquire – nobody knows? The sentiment is laudable, the implementation is laughable, except it’s not funny!”

“We do not agree with the SA regulations, they are typically bureaucratic, and based on antiquated research and statistics as to the abducted children issues and circumstances,” said US-based R. S. Mracky.  He added that while many US- and Canada-based travel agents were aware of the regulations, people booking direct would not be advised of the regulations.

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Andrew Stegmann

Home Affairs supports petition against homophobic pastor

Pretoria – The Department of Home Affairs has expressed support for the online petition meant to stop American anti-gay pastor Steven Anderson from coming to South Africa.

However the department says it may not have the power to deny him the visa.

The petition‚ which had already gained over 2 000 signatures by Thursday morning and has since grown to 5 000‚ is meant to lobby Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba to deny Anderson entry on the grounds that he may be coming to SA to “promote hate speech”.

“We fully support the online petition. We will take it to the Human Rights Commission,” Home Affairs spokesperson Mayihlome Tshwete told City Press.

 However, he said that it may prove difficult to stop the pastor from coming to SA because the comments he allegedly made were not stated on South African soil.

“If someone from another country says something whilst not in the country we have no power to stop them from coming,” he said.

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Andrew Stegmann

Zimbabweans in South Africa protest against Mugabe

Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Zimbabwean embassy in Pretoria and the consulate in Cape Town today

On Thursday, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Zimbabwean Embassy in Pretoria and about 70 Zimbabweans marched from the Grand Parade to the Zimbabwean Consulate in Cape Town to demand that President Robert Mugabe step down.

Laswet Savadye, who was protesting, said: “We will make sure that this whole week we are here [outside the consulate] protesting. They must tell their master [Mugabe] to step down. I am working as an auditor and have a decent life here, but I would love to do the same work in Zimbabwe.”

“We want to go back home and build Zimbabwe, but for that to happen, Mugabe and the system in place should be dismantled,” said Sayade.

He said he is fed up with government corruption, human rights abuses and failed economic policies.

A young woman, who did not want to give her name, said: “Living in Cape Town is painful. I am tired of working as a domestic worker. I want to go back home, but what will I do there? There are no jobs, our health delivery system is down, and nothing is functioning well.”

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Andrew Stegmann

Ethiopia’s Tourism Revenue Hits Record High In 2015, Beats Kenya And Tanzania Combined

Ethiopia’s tourism revenue jumped 20.7 percent  in 2015 to a record high of $3.5 billion from $2.9 billion in the previous fiscal year lifted by increased number of foreign tourists visiting the East African nation, data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed.

The country’s revenue was more than what it more tourist established neighbors, Kenya and Tanzania,  earned last year combined. The two east African neighbors cumulatively earned $2.77 billion.

Kenya’s revenue from its tourism sector dropped about 3 percent in 2015 to $837 million as visitors numbers continued a four year drop due to increased insecurity caused by frequent al Shabaab militants attacks, Reuters reported.

In Tanzania, a reduction in number of visitors last year also saw a fall in foreign exchange earnings from tourism to $1.93 billion, from $2 billion in 2014, The Exchange reported.

The number of visitors to Ethiopia increased by 136,000 to 910,000 in 2015, an estimated 88,000 foreign tourists per month, as the country hosted a number of high profile international business conferences and exhibitions, Ethiosport reported.

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Ethiopia, home to nine UNESCO World Heritage sites, wants to become one of the top five tourist destination in  Africa by tripling  the number of foreign tourists visiting the country to 2.5  million in 2020.

This will make tourism making the leading sector in one of Africa’s fastest growing economies.  It had targeted to raise $3.5 billion from the sector this fiscal year.

– See more at: http://afkinsider.com/129574/ethiopias-tourism-revenue-hits-record-high-beats-kenya-and-tanzania-combined/#sthash.OFvtd7si.dpuf