More than a year since the introduction of the first onerous Visa Regulations in June last year, an Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced changes to the regulations, tremendous news for the Tourism industry.
The new improved revised Visa regulations: Continue reading →
WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news
* The Department of Home Affairs appears determined to destroy tourism to our country. Tourism Update reports that two groups of American tourists traveling with children have been requested to show copies of the non-traveling fathers’ passports at OR Thambo airport, never stipulated in the new Immigration Regulations!
* A Chinese-owned Australian wine company Ferngrove has developed a ‘smart‘ wine bottle, monitoring whether a bottle has been Continue reading →
The hospitality industry is a tough (self-inflicted) taskmaster, especially when you have a ‘boss’ as tough as I have, 24/7 duty being the norm!
A gathering of the von Ulmenstein family in Ulm, to explore the origin of our family name and title granted by the then Kaiser Karl the Sixth more than 300 years ago, was the impetus for the journey, to which I have added additional Continue reading →
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* Construction of the new tourist-friendly cruise terminal in the Cape Town port could begin at the end of this year, with tenders being sought.
* The Cape Town International Jazz Festival is estimated to generate R520 million for the economy of the country this weekend, with 35000 jazz lovers attending two nights of local and international jazz, sold out two months ago already, reports The New Age.
* OR Thambo International handled more international passenger arrivals (3,9 million out of 4,8 million) in 2013 than all other local airports combined, reports The New Age. International arrivals at Cape Town International were reported to be 750000 in the past year. While Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth are both designated as ‘International Airport’, they only handled 31 and 216 international passengers, respectively, in the past year!
* The 20th anniversary of our country’s democracy will be celebrated in April with a month-long celebration of South African wines in Hong Kong. On 16 April a South African Wine Festival will offer 150 wines to taste at Hotel ICON. South African Sommelier Association Chairman Neil Grant will lead a wine pairing dinner at Above & Beyond restaurant on 25 April. The Continue reading →