Tag Archives: Kruger National Park

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 16 May

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   British Airways has launched a You Tube video ‘On Top of the World’, which probably is a TV commercial for its A380 flights to South Africa (it does not say if they are flying to Cape Town too),  and was filmed exclusively in Cape Town, including on top of Table Mountain, on Camps Bay beach, with Lion’s Head as a backdrop, at Boulders Beach, and showing a Cape Town flower seller, a rugby player, and a cyclist.

*   SATSA (Southern African Tourism Services Association) CEO David Frost says that tourists should be encouraged to see more of South Africa than the Big Five, Cape Town, the Kruger National Park, Johannesburg, and the Garden Route. Attractions in other provinces are not known to travelers.  Repeat visits to our country should be increased, and the deceased time spent should be reversed, he added.  He encouraged SA Tourism to develop trade deals that draw visitors to lesser known attractions.  Travelers are not only visiting South Africa, but are also incorporating Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique into their itineraries.

*   Wellington Wines is planning to treble its sales of bulk wine to the UK to 6 million litres by next year, and projects Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 7 March

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Minister of Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk is attending the International Toerismusboerse (ITB) Travel Expo in Berlin.  The Minister said that German tourist arrivals have increased by 153% since 1994, measured at 26600 in 2012.  ‘Germany is our third largest source of overseas tourists. It’s been an incredible journey in which South Africa has emerged from a wildlife destination, serving primarily a domestic market, to one of the most visible, exciting, culturally diverse and varied global tourist destinations in the world today‘, the Minister said.

*   A number of bush camps as well as roads, have been closed in the Kruger National Park due to flooding caused by heavy rains, especially in the southern parts of the park.

*   IATA (International Air Transport Association) figures for January 2014 show a healthy 8% increase in airline passenger demand relative to the same month in 2013.

*   TripAdvisor has launched a South African domain, www.tripadvisor.co.za, and will add more local content to its site.

*   The most expensive champagnes are as follows: Goût de Diamants (Taste of Diamonds, £1,2 million), Moët & Chandon Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 22 January

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   From 1 February wine estates in the Cape Town municipal area, which applies to Somerset West too despite the wine estates there belonging to the Stellenbosch Wine Routes, may no longer sell ‘bottled wines’ on Sundays.  Wine farms may apply to sell bottled wines from 11h00 – 18h00 on Sundays.

*  Former American Vice-President and climate activist Al Gore is to visit South Africa in March, to spread the word for the Climate Reality Project about climate change and to train volunteer ‘climate leaders‘ to spread the word locally, reports The New Age. 

*   The IMF has forecast global economic growth at 3,7%, upping the rate from its October 2013 forecast.  South Africa’s growth rate is forecast to be 2,8% this year. Weaknesses in our economy are highlighted as labour issues, the disparity between employed and unemployed, and increasing government debt.

*   An Indian film ‘Chander Pahar‘, shot for 45 days exclusively in South Africa, is attracting huge interest in our country amongst West Bengal travellers.  Locations Continue reading →