Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* DA Leader Mmusi Maimane has challenged President Jacob Zuma to ‘show leadership’ by repealing the visa regulations, which are costing the country in Tourism arrival declines. Maimane said that an inter-Ministerial committee meeting will take too long to show results.
* The City of Cape Town has been accused of waiting more than three years before it brought a review application about the proposed Continue reading →
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* More direct flights between Cape Town and Luanda in Angola could create close to 4000 jobs and close to R400 million for the economy, an Air Access strategy study has estimated said Alan Winde, Western Cape Minister of Finance, Economic Development, and Tourism. The province’s Air Access strategy ‘is to improve our competitiveness and we will focus on routes into Africa. Research shows a direct link between economic growth and improved air access. We are serious about investment, exports and tourism and direct routes play a major role in stimulating growth in these areas‘, the Minister said. Two years ago the value of trade between Angola and our country was R31 billion, almost half of this from the Western Cape. An increased number of direct flights would benefit tourism, and the oil and gas industry. The Minister said that his department will work on increasing the number of flights. (received via media release from Minister Winde’s offices)
* Tourism performance in the first quarter of 2014 (at 114.6) dipped slightly from the last quarter of 2013 (112.4), despite the weaker exchange rate and international leisure tourism demand, the Tourism Business Council of South Africa FNB Tourism Business Index has measured, in a study conducted by Grant Thornton. Tourism businesses’ optimism remains for the period ahead. Interesting is that the study found that the tourism industry sees the general election on 7 May to have a negative impact on tourism. (received via e-mail from the Tourism Business Council of South Africa)
* The Van Ryn range has won a double gold for the Van Ryn 15 Year Old, and two gold medals for its 12 Year Old and 20 Year Old at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. (received via media release from De Kock Communications)
* The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa sister hotel Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat will host a 5 course Continue reading →
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* UK X Factor judge and singer Cheryl Cole was spotted at The Duchess of Wisbeach in Sea Point on Saturday evening, and Tweeted to her 4,5 million Twitter followers, The Daily Mail reports.
* Internationally revered and feared Wine Advocate reviewer Robert Parker is to publish a new magazine ‘100 Points by Robert Parker‘, with German Hubert Burda Media as publisher.
* Beer sales in Africa are expected to be the fastest growing, predicts a report by Rabobank, the continent having the fastest growth in legal beer drinking population between 2013 – 2018. SABMiller has announced that it will triple production at its plant in Nigeria, with an investment of £110 million.
* The Good Food & Wine Show 2014 will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 29 May – 1 June, and an action-packed program has been announced: 8 top restaurants will offer signature dishes; Woolworths and Robertsons will Continue reading →
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* Condor is adding a third flight per week between Cape Town and Frankfurt from 6 November, due to increased demand from German tourists in particular. The airline said that there had been no increase in demand between the two destinations on the Johannesburg route, but that demand had grown between Cape Town and Frankfurt by 7% in the past year.
* The global Hotel Price Index has shown a 3% increase in the past year, the fourth year running that it has increased after declines during the worst of the economic crisis. The current Index at 110 is still 7 points lower than the peak in 2007.
* At the Cape Town Art Fair last week, child visitors were asked to vote for their favourite work of art, by placing a sticker next to it, the most popular children’s choice being bought by The Sovereign Group, which sponsored the Cape Town Art Fair. A colourful Continue reading →