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NOTE FROM STEPHANIE: |
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| TOP 10 MOVIE HOTELS | ||
The following hotels have been showcased in various movies over the years. They include:
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BREAKING NEWS |
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The Grace in Rosebank, Johannesburg will be closing its doors as of the 31 August 2011. African Sun Limited issued a statement indicating that it will not be renewing its operating agreements. |
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CAPE TOWN TOURISM ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF THE CTICC |
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| ACSA INCREASES TARIFFS | ||
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Airport tariffs are set to rise by 34,8%, effective from October 1, 2011. In a statement by ACSA it said that it recognises the increase will have an impact on customers, but reiterated that they were “unavoidable but necessary” for the industry. The passenger service charge (ex VAT) will be: Domestic R96,49, Regional R199,12 and International R262,28. Responding to the announcement of the increase, the Airline Association of Southern Africa (AASA) said while ACSA's announcement that the tariff increase effective from April 1, 2011 for the year ending March 31, 2012 is 34,8%, this does not reflect the full picture. |
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| MOSSEL BAY UNDERTAKES DESALINATION PLANT | ||
Mossel Bay Tourism believes the 15 megalitre a day emergency desalination plant currently being built, will secure the town's future as a tourism and investment destination. Together with the Council, PetroSA, the town's biggest industrial user of water, have had the foresight to work together to ensure an adequate supply. The desalination plant was mooted as a response to the worst drought to have hit the area in 132 years. |
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| FOOD FOR THOUGHT! | ||
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| ZJ CONNECTS CAPE TOWN WITH LIVINGSTONE | ||
 Starting June 30, Zambezi Airlines will introduce new flights connecting Cape Town directly with Livingstone and on to Lusaka. Flights from Cape Town are scheduled to operate on Monday/Wednesday/Friday. The return service will operate on Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday. |
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| CAPE TOWN's MYCITI BUS SYSTEM LAUNCHED | ||
 The inaugural service of Cape Town's MyCiTi bus transport system has officially been launched. The first phase runs between Table View and the city centre and signalled a milestone for the transformation of public transport in Cape Town. It services Bloubergstrand and Table View and accommodation providers in the area are excited about the launch. It is the first time that guests will have a real alternative to taxis. The second phase which saw the full trunk service operating with the buses stopping at all stations along the trunk route.The interim inner-city feeder route - the Gardens-Civic Centre-Waterfront route - runs between the Civic Centre and Green Point, the Waterfront, the Loop and Long Street areas and Gardens. Tickets for the feeder route costs R5 per trip, but travel on the feeder routes is free when used in conjunction with a truck route trip, which costs R10. the Table View feeder services will cover the areas of Big Bay, Table View, Parklands and Blaauwberg - also linking up to the trunk service. |
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| BA INTRODUCES FAST TRACK BOARDING | ||
 Fast Track boarding is now available on all British Airways flights departing London Heathrow's Terminal 5. Fast track boarding allows customers travelling in eligible cabins, or Gold and Silver Executive Club members, priority boarding at the departure gate. Customers travelling in the following cabins are eligible to use the facility: First, Club World and Club Europe. |
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| SA EXPRESS LAUNCHES FLIGHTS BETWEEN CAPE TOWN AND HOEDSPRUIT | ||
Starting July 26, SA Express will be flying between Cape Town and Hoedspruit. The airline will operate the route with a 50 seater CRJ200 with a launch phase frequency of once daily, every Tuesday and Thursday. |
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| MOUNT NELSON OFFERS GUESTS ‘GREEN’ COURTESY CAR | ||
 The Mount Nelson Hotel has recently acquired two Prius ‘green limo’ cars offering guests the option of an eco-friendly and low carbon emission transport service. Guests can choose to use the luxury Mercedes Benz or the Toyota Prius cars when utilising the hotel's courtesy car service to nearby attractions such as Table Mountain, Lion's Head and Signal Hill, Clifton and Camps Bay beaches as well as the Camps Bay strip. |
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| BA UPS SUMMER SCHEDULE TO CAPE TOWN | ||
British Airways will increase its Cape Town summer frequencies from 13 a week to double daily from October 31. This will increase BA's existing summer capacity to Cape Town by almost 709 seats a week. The airline will switch from B777 to B747-400 services on the route. It will be the only carrier to offer a First Class product on the direct route between Cape Town and London. |
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| SINGAPORE AIRLINES TO ESTABLISH ‘NO FRILLS’ AIRLINE | ||
Singapore Airlines has announced its intention to establish a new, ‘no frills’, low fare airline. Once established, the new airline will operate wide-body aircraft on medium and long-haul routes. Operations are expected to begin within one year and the airline will be wholly owned by Singapore Airlines, but will be operated independently and managed separately from Singapore Airlines. More details will be announced by the new airline's management team in due course, including its branding, products and services, and route network. |
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| SMILE: IMMUTABLE LAWS | ||
When one wishes to unlock a door, but has only one hand free, the keys are in the opposite pocket |
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| BA COMAIR POSTPONES ITS LANSERIA TO MAPUTO AND GABORONE FLIGHTS | ||
In a statement Comair said that this is pending the finalization of commercial terms with Lanseria International Airport and a commitment from Lanseria to commence the building of a new runway and upgrade of the airport infrastructure. Comair is now set to commence operations on the Maputo and Gaborone routes from September 1 and bookings for these new destinations are currently open for sale via ba.com, the British Airways call centre or through travel agents. Customers that have already booked and paid for their flights on these routes are being contacted and have been provided with the option for a full refund, or to change their flights to a date on or after September 1, 2011. |
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| NEW RULES ON FLYING NEAR ASH CLOUDS | ||
 UK Transport Secretary, Philip Hammond, has agreed to an overhaul of guidelines after it emerged that ash from the Grimsvotn Icelandic volcano was much thinner than anticipated and both British Airways and Ryanair test flights found little evidence of it at 30,000 feet. New rules on aircraft flying near ash clouds are to be introduced to avoid air travel chaos, with aircraft now allowed to fly below thick concentrations of ash cloud |
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| DURBAN ICC LIFTS ITS RANKING | ||
 The Durban KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau was recently informed by the International Conference and Congress Association (ICCA) that the city has significantly improved its ICCA ranking in terms of regional and international meetings hosted that exceed 50 delegates and have rotated between more than three countries. Durban's 2009 ranking was 231, compared with its 2010 ranking of 178 which has just been released. The new ranking places Durban ahead of Johannesburg. Johannesburg's 2010 ranking was 196. Cape Town remains South Africa's most important city in terms of ranking. However, it dropped from 35 in 2009 to 41 in 2010. |
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| SALE OF THE WESTIN CAPE TOWN AND THE ARABELLA HOTEL & SPA CONCLUDED | ||
Transfer of the sale to the purchaser, Hospitality Property Fund, took place on May 13. Currently under management by Arabella Starwood Hotels South Africa, The Westin Cape Town, situated adjacent to the Cape Town International Convention Centre, will now be managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., owners of the International Westin brand. |
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| MSC AND UAE OPEN GATEWAY TO ARABIA | ||
MSC Cruises has announced the addition of Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to its range of destinations. Available from October to March 2012, the MSC Lirica will offer 7 night cruises from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, stopping at the ports of Khasab, Muscat and al Fujairah, with two nights in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. |
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| MAJOR FACELIFT PLANNED FOR CAPE VIDAL | ||
 Cape Vidal on the eastern shores section of iSimangaliso Wetland Park, is undergoing a R7 million facelift that will see a complete rebuild of the campsite and upgrading of day visitor facilities, due to increasing demand. Visitor numbers to iSimangaliso have increased between 5%-7% year on year since its establishment. Cape Vidal lies immediately behind a sensitive sand dune system and, as such, great care is being taken to ensure the necessary improvements are both ecologically acceptable as well as improving conditions for our visitors. |
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| INEFFECTIVE AFFIRMATIONS | ||
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| BIRCHWOOD ADDS NEW VENUE TO PORTFOLIO | ||
Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre is introducing the Woods Centre to its existing 50 conference rooms. The venue offers six new rooms named according to size and location. Collectively, the new rooms will be able to accommodate between 200 and 250 delegates. |
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| SANDTON SUN RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS AWARD | ||
The Sandton Sun has received its Gold Status certification by the Heritage Environmental Management Company in a recent audit. The Management Company was established to provide companies with an effective environmental management and certification solution to minimize the adverse impact that some activities may have on the environment. |
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| LONDOLOZI ADDS OUTDOOR BATHTUBS TO GRANITE SUITES | ||
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| HILTON WINDHOEK NOW OPEN | ||
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| SIGNATURE LIFE INVESTS R55M IN NORTH COAST DEVELOPMENT | ||
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R55 million has been set aside by Signature Life Hospitality to cover new projects and investment in the Ballito area as well as an aggressive roll-out of properties along the North Coast of KwaZulu Natal. The investment will include a new 400 seater conference centre adjacent to the recently announced Quarter retail establishment, as well as the addition of 40 extra rooms to the Life Ballito Hotel. The group's new hotel, The Westbrook is due to open in November whilst the Jozini Tiger Estate will launch at the end of June. |
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| THREE CITIES EXPANDS PORTFOLIO | ||
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| TERMINAL 5 OFFERS BA IMPROVED FACILITIES | ||
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BA customers flying through Terminal 5 at Heathrow are now benefiting from even more space and improved facilities following the opening of the new third part of the terminal. The new satellite terminal, known at T5 C, provides additional capacity and aims to make sure that customers have an even smoother journey. It offers 12 boarding gates, of which eight are triple bridges designed to cater for the new 12-strong fleet of A380 aircraft joining BA from early 2013. A new dedicated transfer baggage tunnel linking T5 C and Terminal 3, due to open in 2012, will further improve baggage performance for all airlines at the airport. |
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| V&A OWNERS SPEND R500M ON REDEVELOPMENT | ||
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The new owners of Cape Town's V&A Waterfront have wasted no time in confirming their commitment to the on-going expansion of the South African Landmark, with the announcement of a R500 million redevelopment programme of the Clock Tower precinct over the next four years. |
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| WESTCLIFF GETS FAMILIES BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE ZOO | ||
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| YELLOW FEVER VACCINATIONS REQUIRED FOR ZAMBIA | ||
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| AFRICAN HOTELS & ADVENTURE (AHA) ADDS SAINT JAMES TO ITS PORTFOLIO | ||
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The property management company of Tourvest's accommodation and activities division, African Hotels & Adventure (AHA) has secured the sales and marketing contract for the Saint James on Venice, the company's first contract with a boutique hotel in KwaZulu Natal. The property, with 14 individually decorated rooms, is situated in the Durban suburb of Morningside, close to restaurants on Florida Road, the beachfront, sports stadiums and golf courses. |
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| HOLIDAY INN SANDTON LAUNCHES ADDITIONAL CONFERENCING FACILITIES | ||
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| DIRECT BUS LINK BETWEEN LONDON VICTORIA COACH STATION AND SCHIPHOL AIRPORT | ||
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From July 1, international coach firm Eurolines, part of the National Express Group, will launch a direct service between London Victoria Coach Station and Schiphol Airport. The coach will carry passengers overnight from London, arriving at Schiphol in the early morning. The new service follows the success of a similar link between London and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. |
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| SHIFT FROM TRAVEL AGENTS TO ONLINE BOOKINGS | ||
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A recent online survey conducted by the AA revealed that the uptake of online bookings by South Africans is growing. Of the sample, 70% book their travels online, 1% use a travel agent and 10% book over the phone. Industry players find themselves having to constantly innovate and ramp up efforts to make online travel as mobile and transparent as possible to engage consumers to use this channel and keep them coming back in an increasingly competitive market. |
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| EMIRATES OFFERS MOBILE BOARDING PASS | ||
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Emirates customers departing from Emirates Terminal 3 in Dubai are now able to receive a Mobile Boarding Pass (mBP) on their web-enabled phone or mobile device after having checked in online. The mobile boarding pass (mBP) contains a unique barcode according to the IATA standard (Resolution 792) that may be electronically scanned at the security checkpoint, and acts the same as a boarding card or e-boarding pass. The customer doesn't need to print out a boarding pass and just needs their mobile boarding pass (sent to them on their mobile), and their passport. Mobile boarding passes can initially be issued for all single sector flights departing Dubai only. More departure airports will be added in the coming months as a part of a phased rollout. |
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| MTN TRAVELLER AND MOBIRES FORM PARTNERSHIP | ||
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MTN Traveller and MobiRes have announced a global content interface partnership with Hotels.com, a subsidiary of Expedia. As a result of the partnership with Hotels.com, MTN Traveller will be in a position to offer its local users access to 132 000 accommodation choices in 213 countries around the world, directly from a cell phone interface. The functionality is enhanced by selected airline, car rental and lifestyle offerings, which complete a dynamic mobile product suitable for both domestic and international travel options. MTN Traveller is also focusing on bringing the world to South Africa by actively promoting the local tourism market to the global arena. |
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| ITALY AND FRANCE AIM TO REINTRODUCE BORDER CONTROLS IN THE SCHENGEN AREA | ||
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Following an influx of immigrants, France and Italy are pushing the European Commission to allow member states to temporarily reintroduce border controls in the Schengen area. The EU Commission remains adamant that the Schengen Agreement must be safeguarded at all times. Schengen is an area without border controls, which gives EU citizens the chance to travel in Europe in a way that was not possible before. It also has a big and positive impact on the EU economy - for example export and import transports, that otherwise would be stuck in border controls for hours, move freely. A number of European countries are considering putting up new borders to control the latest wave of refugees from the Middle East conflict. |
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| GOLDEN GATE HOTEL COMPLETES REFURBISHMENT | ||
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| MUNICH AIRPORT INTRODUCES INFOGATES | ||
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The new InfoGates will assist passengers in requesting individual directions to get where they want to go at Munich Airport. The InfoGate allows the airport visitor to simply push a button to be immediately connected via video conference with an information service representative for a real-time dialog on life sized screens. At the new InfoCounters, passengers will now have access to reliable information in areas of the airport where there was previously no opportunity for face to face contact with information service representatives. The advantage of these devices is that passengers can request “custom made” directions to a desired gate that will take them past a certain shop or restaurant en route. The passenger then sees the quickest way to their chosen destination displayed on an animated map of the airport building. The system computes the distance, the estimated walking time and the anticipated wait times at passport control security screening. |
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| ALEXANDRA HERITAGE TRAIL LAUNCHED | ||
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| QATAR NAMED BEST AIRLINE FOR 2011 | ||
Qatar Airways won Airline of the Year title at the 2011 World Airline Awards announced by Skytrax research. They also won ‘Best First Class Airline Lounge’. Other winners include:
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| SANTE APPOINTS STATUS HOTELS AS MARKETING PARTNER | ||
 Santé Hotel, Resort and Spa in the Paarl/Franschhoek valley has appointed Status Hotels as its marketing and reservations partner in its aim to become a leading hospitality destination in the Cape Winelands. The five star hotel also comprises of a Spa, gym, three restaurants and conferencing facilities. |
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| VILANCULOS AIRPORT RENOVATIONS COMPLETE | ||
Mozambique's Vilanculos Airport was recently re-launched after major renovations. The construction of the new airport took 13 months to complete at a cost of approximately US$10 million. The total area of the new airport is 7200sqm, increasing capacity to 200 000 passengers annually. The airport consists of two departure terminals, a separate domestic terminal and an international arrivals terminal. The airport also boasts three car rental office. |
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The expansion in conjunction with the announcement by the City of Cape Town and the Provisional Government of the Western Cape of the R4,5 billion urban regeneration project, includes the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The expansion of the centre will not include the Customs House, but will include 10 000sqm of retail space, an office tower, parking bays, a new Netcare Chris Barnard Memorial Hospital as well as the regeneration of Founder's Garden by the provincial government, which will connect the Artscape Precinct with the new, larger CTICC. The expansion will contribute to the creation of more than 8000 jobs annually by 2018. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2014.
The Londolozi Private Game Reserve, located in the Sabi Sand, recently added a new outdoor bathtub to each of its Private Granite Suites. The three secluded Granite Suites enjoy uninterrupted views of the perennial Sand River, with a glass encased en-suite bathroom, outdoor shower and swimming pool.
The Hilton Windhoek has recently opened - Hilton Worldwide 50th hotel in the Middle East and Africa. The 150 room property in Windhoek's CBD is operated under a management agreement with the United Africa Group. The hotel also offers conference facilities that can accommodate up to 250 guests as well as onsite leisure facilities and dining options, including a heated lap pool with sundeck, wellness centre with two treatment rooms and a 24 hour Hilton Fitness by Precor gym, all located on the rooftop with views of the city.
The portfolio includes the Caledon Boutique Hotel, situated 3km from Ballito and 10 minutes from King Shaka International Airport. The hotel has 36 appointed standard bedrooms and two executive suites surrounded by gardens overlooking sugar-cane fields.
Families staying at The Westcliff hotel can view the Johannesburg Zoo from the hotel's lofty, Cliffside location or just “cross the road” to the zoo itself for specialized tours where visitors can learn about the history of the zoo, how it was donated to the people of Johannesburg in 1904 and why its animal collection is so unique. The tour allows visitors to visit the zoo kitchens and accompany staff to feed the animals, as well as visits to the “night rooms” - areas protected from the elements where the animals can relax, sleep or hide. Picnic baskets and a torch allow one to embark on a Night Tour while encountering a variety of interesting creatures from crocodiles to civets, honey badgers to hippos and many more. The Westcliff's concierge desk can make bookings for any of the tours and arrange picnic baskets for guests.
The South African Department of Health has issued a statement that all returning travellers from South Africa to Zambia and travellers from Zambia to South Africa will now require proof of yellow fever vaccinations. Previously, this was not required. All in-transit passengers between the two destinations, irrespective of the time period in transit, will also require proof of yellow fever vaccinations.
The Holiday Inn Sandton on Rivonia Road introduced its new conferencing facilities on June 8. The development forms part of the venue's extensive 9th floor refurbishment project. The Cullinan Suite is a combination of three new conferencing rooms. Cullinan 1, 2 and 3 and can be adapted into cinema, schoolroom and cabaret-style configurations, capable of hosting up to 240 guests. Meals are served by the hotel's banqueting department housed in the ground floor's Lettuce and Lime restaurant. The new conference facilities will operate alongside the existing seven conference rooms located on the first floor.
The Golden Gate Hotel in the Golden Gate Park in the Free State has completed its refurbishment. The hotel has 54 luxury rooms and falls within the South African National Parks (SANParks) umbrella. The hotel will play a role in providing jobs and creating wealth in the area. The hotel surrounds are home to 10 antelope species as well as more than 50 grass species.
The recent commemoration of the student uprising in Soweto saw the launch of the second phase of the June 16 Heritage Trail in Alexandra in partnership with the June 16 Foundation. The outdoor trails in Soweto and Alex, which can be walked or cycled by locals, tourists and visitors, bring welcome additions to the heritage tourism products in these culturally vibrant parts of Johannesburg.