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Rwanda: For 2010, It's More Tourists And Millions in Revenue for Country

Rwanda's revenue from tourism is projected to hit $203 million next year.

Rwanda Development Board also said that the country expects another $200 million from foreign direct investment in the next year.

According to the deputy chief executive in charge of tourism and conservation at the Rwanda Development Board Chantal Rosette Rugamba, at least 820,000 visitors are expected by the end of 2010.

Ms Rugamba said this while unveiling John Gara as the new RDB boss.

Mr Gara replaces Joe Ritchie who is now an adviser to President Paul Kagame.

Figures presented indicate that during the first semester of this year the country attracted some 440,000 visitors, a 7 per cent rise over the same period last year.

The visitors generated over $92 million.

Officials also said that the country expects to attract some $11 million from bird tourism by 2012.

Bird tourism

There are about 700 species of birds in Rwanda of which 44 are indigenous to the country.

RDB anticipates that birding will contribute 10 per cent of Rwanda's tourism receipts by 2010.

"In the first half of 2009, 43 per cent or 189,857 of the visitors who came to Rwanda came for business purposes. We anticipate that conference tourism will continue to generate considerable revenue in 2010," Ms Rugamba said.

At the same ceremony, deputy chief executive in charge of business operations at RDB Clare Akamanzi said projected investments for 2010 were recorded at $200m for foreign direct investments.

According to RDB, nine investment projects worth $52.4 million (Rwf 26.2 billion) and able to generate 240 jobs were registered in November.

This represents an increase of 297 per cent from the $13.2 million (Rwf6.6 billion) registered in October 2009.

Ms Akamanzi termed delays in implementation of the planned investments as the biggest challenge this year.

Information availed indicates that in the first six months of this year, investments faced a decline of 10 per cent in the number of projects registered though there was a 50 per cent increase in value of investment projects registered.

According to the World Investment Report 2009, Rwanda registered a dramatic rise in investment inflows this year.

The report said the country attracted $16 million in 2006, $67 million in 2007 and $103 million last year.

For the third year running, Uganda led the East African region in attracting FDIs fetching $787 million in foreign investments in 2008, up from $733 million in 2007 and $644 million in 2006.

Despite the rise in foreign investments, some of Rwanda's biggest investment attractions were badly hit by the global financial crisis.

For instance, Dubai World, a major holding company owned by the United Arab Emirates earlier this year scaled down its investments in the country, preferring to concentrate on two projects out of a handful it had picked.

Almost two years ago, the Middle-East giant had announced that it was to line up an investment worth $230 million (Rwf130 billion) mainly in the hospitality industry with the building of a new 150-room hotel in Kigali on the Kigali Golf Course.

It also promised to re-develop the 18 hole golf course and the golf and country club, as well as building townhouses and villas.

Construction on the developments was meant to commence in late 2007 according to a statement quoting the Dubai World Chairman, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem.

However despite "prioritising" particular areas of investment there has not been any mention of commencement of construction since then.

However, two weeks ago RDB said it had not yet received any indication of change of strategy from the previous report that Dubai World had submitted.

RDB is currently being restructured. Mr Gara said the process will lead to a creation of clusters that will focus on policy advocacy in areas that promote the private sector and agriculture as a business industry.

RDB was created by a government's Organic Law to fast-track development and catalyse economic growth.

It is a merger of a number of agencies, including the investment, tourism and information and technology authorities.

By:  Kezio-Musoke

World Cup 2010 - plan your trip

So now we know who we (with apologies to our readers in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and, most unfairly, Ireland) have to beat to get to the second round of the World Cup. The USA, Algeria and Slovenia are all that lie between us and the knockout stages of the tournament — which are, in turn, all that lie between us and the inevitable trophy-lifting in Soccer City, Johannesburg, soon after 10pm local time on July 11, 2010. Easy.

Crucially, we now know where England are playing — and when. After months of speculation, hedging and hysterical talk about hysterical prices, the final variables have been decided. Here are all the questions you need answered to plan your World Cup trip.

WHERE ARE OUR GAMES?

South Africa is large, and several of the 10 World Cup stadiums are an internal flight apart. England’s opening game, against the USA on June 12, is at the Royal Bafokeng stadium, in Phokeng, near Rustenburg, a good two-hour drive from Johannesburg airport. The second match, against Algeria, is at Green Point, in Cape Town, on June 18. The last group tie, against Slovenia, is in Port Elizabeth on June 23. Since the draw on Friday, tour operators have been sitting in front of their calculators trying to work out the cost of flying their clients from one game to the next. By today, they should have a rough idea of final costs.

BUT CAN WE GO INDEPENDENTLY?

No. Are we absolutely sure? Yes. Really? Yes. Almost all hotel stock was snapped up by the entire planet’s tour operators months and months ago. Unless you want to commute in from Mozambique (which some crazy people are already planning) or sleep in someone’s spare bedroom (check out gumtree.com for very limited options), there is no room at the inn.

Direct flights from the UK to Johannesburg and Cape Town were, as of Friday night, trading at upwards of £1,000, compared to a normal June price of £500. The cheapest indirect flight is via Cairo with Egyptair (£900): you’ve really got to love England to bother with that. And these are entry-level prices — to fly on key days at sensible times will cost more. Then, of course, you’ll need a match ticket. They’re already selling on eBay for thousands, but this is illegal — and risky. You don’t pick up the actual match ticket until you get to South Africa, and you have to show your credit card. If your name’s not down, you’re not getting in.

SO WHAT ARE THE PACKAGE OPTIONS?

There are five Fifa-approved operators: Thomson Sport (which includes Sportsworld), Keith Prowse, Thomas Cook, BAC Sport and Emirates Tours. They have been selling packages like hot cakes for several months at high but not extortionate rates, having long ago bagsied hotels and international flights. Have their numbers on speed dial, phone them all up today and see what the latest deals are.

Some of the options have already sold out. For example, Thomson Sport’s three-night final package, an in-and-out long weekend with a ticket to the (Brazil-England?) final went several weeks ago, despite the £5,995 price tag. Between the five operators, however, you can still book pretty much any Jo’burg or Cape Town-based package. Here are the best options.

Thomson Sport (0845 121 2018, thomsonsport.com) still has availability for its one-group-game packages, with four nights’ accommodation at the Holiday Inn Express in Cape Town, international flights and an England match ticket. Prices start at £2,512pp — but if you want to see the England-USA opener, you’ll be splashing out on internal flights to get you up to Jo’burg. Packages including two England matches, on a similar basis, start at £3,825pp for 11 nights, again not including internal flights.

Sportsworld (01235 547261, sportsworld.co.uk) is for those of you who aren’t content with just being at the World Cup, but want all the trimmings as well. For about £3,550pp, you can watch the England group match of your choice, with a Category 1 ticket (the best), hospitality (lunch and drinks in a marquee before and after the match), three nights’ four-star accommodation and nonstop international flights. Seven nights, incorporating the semi-final and final, will cost a shade less than £10,000pp — which is a lot if it turns out you’re paying to see Germany v Argentina

Keith Prowse (0845 125 4880, keithprowse.co.uk), which specialises in corporate travel, but is selling packages to hoi polloi for the World Cup, has an 18-day tour with all three England group games from £4,995pp, including match tickets, international flights and three-star accommodation. For the next few days, it’s knocking £1,000 off that price, which, if you can spare the time off work, is a great deal. Depending on your confidence levels, it also has the 13-day Final Tour, with tickets to a quarter, a semi and the final, from a less great £12,500pp.

Thomas Cook Sport (020 8739 2360, thomascooksport.com) has already broken up its longer stays into bite-size trips. Its England group-stage packages start at £2,499pp for a one-game, five-night trip, £3,650pp for a two-game 10-nighter and £4,150pp for a three-game 17-nighter, including match tickets, international flights and three-star accommodation. Again, you’re going to be paying extra for internal flights. You can also book a stay for the entire tournament, watching all three England group games and the four knockout rounds. The how-on-earth-are-you-going-to-get-your-boss/wife-to-agree-to-it? 35-night epic starts at a relatively good-value £8,200pp, including direct international flights, accommodation and Category 3 tickets. For Category 1 tickets, you’ll pay £1,000 more. Again, internal flights are extra.

BAC Sport (020 7456 7100, www.bacsport.co.uk), the smallest of the five operators, has a two-England-match group package based either in Cape Town or, more originally, Sun City, the gambling resort two hours west of Jo’burg. Prices start at £4,395pp for 11 nights, including both international and, where necessary, internal flights.

Finally, Emirates Tours (0844 800 0775, emiratestours.co.uk) has all sorts of packages available, based in Cape Town and Johannesburg, ranging from a two-star, five-night package with one England group game (from £2,450pp, including indirect economy flights) right up to a five-star, 32-night package covering the whole tournament, with tickets to every England group game and the knockout stages. The price? Drum roll: £22,720, including first-class flights, natch.

So, apart from working out how many wheelbarrow loads of cash you can spare, it seems straightforward. All you have to decide is which games you want to see and where you want to base yourself.

CAPE TOWN OR JO’BURG?

Because operators had to block-book everything long before Friday’s draw, they did so without knowing where England would be playing in the group stages. In other words, they took a punt.

Thomson decided to base its clientele in Cape Town, on the grounds that it’s somewhere you’d want to spend three weeks of your life in between watching the football. They have a point, but every single one of the 10 World Cup stadiums, apart from Green Point, is an internal flight away. Keith Prowse and Thomas Cook opted for Johannesburg, a city nobody would want to spend time in unless they absolutely had to, on the assumption that, because seven of the stadiums are less than four hours away, most of the games would be driveable. Emirates and BAC Sport, on the other hand, hedged their bets and have space in both cities.

Where should you base yourself? Well, Cape Town hosts England’s Algeria game, Jo’burg hosts the USA match and Port Elizabeth (miles from anywhere) is the venue for the Slovenia tie. It’s much of a muchness in the group stages so, on tourist grounds, Cape Town wins. For the knockout stages, Jo’burg is more sensible for all but the semi-finals (England would play in either Durban or Cape Town).

SO, LOTS OF FLYING. WILL THAT BE EXPENSIVE?

Well, it won’t be cheap. Both BAC Sport and Emirates Tours can quote tour prices inclusive of internal air transfers because they have opted to use official Fifa-chartered flights with set prices. Thomas Cook, Keith Prowse and Thomson Sport did not. If you have to book your flights on the open market, this could add a fortune to your package price. On Friday night, Jo’burg-Cape Town returns were going for £600 and up on key dates. Both Thomson and Keith Prowse said they would resort to chartering their own flights, and that prices would be significantly lower than that. Thomas Cook said it already had internal allocations and would confirm prices over the weekend. This should be a key part of your discussion with the operators before you book.

CAN I GO WITHOUT A TICKET?

There are plans for football fan parks — or Fifa Fan Fests, as they’re calling them — with giant video screens at each of the 10 host cities, and despite some security concerns, the football fiesta will be in full swing. BA Holidays (www.baholidays.com), Thomson Sport (thomsonsport.com) and ITC Sports (01244 355390, itcsports.co.uk) are among several operators offering trips to coincide with the World Cup. It is, however, winter in South Africa and summer here. If you’re going to watch it on a screen, you may as well do it in your local... or use the money you’ll be saving by staying at home to invest in that 56in plasma screen you’ve had your eye on. If you’re out there for the England games, the fan parks will, of course, be the place to watch Portugal get knocked out in the group stages.

CAN I THINK ABOUT IT?

If you want to be at the World Cup, you have to book fast. The operators expect a huge surge in the next few days, and most can’t foresee having many tickets past New Year. So, no. Get on the phone.

MORE INFORMATION

No. Stop procrastinating.

WE’RE ON OUR WAY

"My wife, Nikki, and I have followed England far and wide, including to Kazakhstan and Qatar. Even so, at the 2006 World Cup, I was only allocated one match ticket by Fifa. So when packages came on sale with guaranteed tickets to all three group games, we both jumped at the chance. We booked before England qualified — such was our confidence in Fabio. We’ll be based in Cape Town, and we’ll take in a safari. Beyond the group games... well, we’ll see!"

Andy Whitaker, 49, is an accountant. He lives in Wiltshire and supports Swindon Town

"It’s going to be quite a moving trip for me. I’ve followed England all my life. My wife, June, was a mad keen fan too, and we booked for us and our two fantastic boys to go to South Africa, the trip of a lifetime. Sadly, she died of cancer in September, but she wanted us to go — travelling to football was something we did a lot as a family, and she wanted it to carry on. While we’re there, my son Ben will celebrate his 21st birthday. So whatever happens on the pitch, for us it’ll be a celebration."

Stephen Hartshorne, 53, is a pharmacist. He lives near Walsall and supports Walsall FC

"I’m going with my wife, who’s at least as keen to be there as I am! We haven’t missed an England game in four years. We’ll try to see them all this time, probably in two or three trips, and we’ll bring our children out for the final. We’re booking our own flights and hotels for the group stage and round of 16, but we booked a package in Johannesburg for a quarter-final, a semi and the final. If Rooney’s fit, I’d say England have a chance of being in it!”

Christopher Jonas, 50, is a bank manager. He lives in Sussex and supports Brighton & Hove Albion

Source::  Times online

By: Matt Rudd

Cape of no hope

WORLD CUP 2010 COUNTDOWN TO SOUTH AFRICA

Loyal England fans will get a measly 4,125 tickets for the crucial first game against the USA... in a stadium which holds 42,500 supporters.

With the biggest travelling support in world football, many of the more than 30,000 England fans expected in South Africa next summer will be locked out.

The ticket scandal continues in England's next game against Algeria, with just 6,876 tickets for supporters at Cape Town's 68,000-capacity Green Point stadium.

Then, against Slovenia in the third match, the allocation is a paltry 4,715 tickets in the Port Elizabeth's Nelson Mandela Bay stadium, which holds 48,000 fans.

A Sunday Mirror investigation reveals that it gets even worse in the knockout stages, where England could face arch-rivals Germany. Fans will get only 3,400 of the 42,500 seats at the Royal Bafonkeng Stadium, Rustenburg.

The blow comes after the Three Lions were given a dream draw, with bookies making them third favourites behind Spain and Brazil to win the tournament.

Yesterday desperate fans scrambled to secure tickets online, paying thousands of pounds for packages. A seat at the USA game was selling on a website for £1,570 and prices are expected to rise.

Fifa claim that each team will get 12 per cent of tickets for group games but we can reveal the figure is actually 9.8 per cent.

Sponsors, corporate hospitality and tour companies will get 30 per cent of all tickets available.

Fifa said tens of thousands of fans from the US have applied for tickets in the public ballot - meaning more Americans could be cheering on their team than English fans.

An added attraction for USA fans will be seeing David Beckham, who has become an icon in the States playing for LA Galaxy. England Supporters' Association spokes-man Kevin Miles said: "This obscenity of dominance won by big multinationals must stop.

"In England's first match, the number of corporate seats and fan seats will be almost equal, and at the later stages of the competition the balance will actually tip in favour of the corporates.

"It's a scandal and leaves thousands of people who live for football out in the cold. It's just a massive money machine that ignores the soul of the game.

"Whoever can afford to buy tickets would be wise to try to get them immediately. Getting them will take determination."

Don Foster, the Liberal Democrats' sports spokesman, said: "It's a pathetic deal and another case of real fans missing out." Officials warn fans to be prepared for the worst in South Africa - one of the most dangerous nations with 48 murders a day and 15,000 carjackings a year. Transport links are inadequate with notoriously bad rail and bus networks.

Fans will also be told to take condoms because South Africa is the Aids capital of the world. And with 450,000 fans expected at the World Cup, there is expected to be a shortfall of 9,000 hotel rooms.

Former British detective superintendent Neil Thompson, 59, who has studied law enforcement in South Africa, said: "People will get robbed, lose all their possessions and probably get injured."

By Justin Penrose; Stewart Maclean

The rise and fall of Ghanian Republic

The Ghana of Today – Tourism Industry Developments on the move
Its one famous quote; “the shadows of the past, predict the future of a nation”.

Ghana, a friendly country for first time travelers, has a history of being ruled by several nations including the unforgettable (1874 & 1877) “Gold coast colony” formation by the British Empire. Ghana has been on a crazy ride of raise and falls yet, the passion, the patriotism and endless struggle of strong Ghanaians has made it survive through the toughest of times with pride and vigor.

Thousand of Ghanaians dressed in colorful garbs and sprinkling generous smiles welcomed President Obama on his first visit to Ghana this year. The shining eyes of many singing delightful songs for the US president were evident that the country is on the right track, the country has faith, it has what it takes to bring the change and that is “Hope”. The hope that once thrilled every youth in all corners of Ghana, which bloomed the Accra Riots (1948) and raised the wave of enthusiasm that led to the independence of this African tiger. “Hope” is what has once made Ghana stand out and shine in the world and “Hope” is what will make it struggle ahead and ahead on the path of success.

Today, the whole world recognizes Ghana as a unique, independent and progressing country and one such experience was the wide recognition of Blakk Rasta’s electrifying song “Barack Obama”, the song brought both controversy and fame to the singer but on the other hand it lead to dawn a magical moment when President Obama specially met Blakk, during his visit to Ghana.

Not just the political lime light or paparazzi are now deluging upon the country but “Tourism” is also developing in leaps and bonds. Although, it will still take a while for Ghana to arise and stand among other African Tourism Tycoons like South Africa, but developments are on the stake whether it’s tour operations, modern constructions, beach holidays or Air Travel.

The flag ship carrier of Ghana, Ghana International Airline is one such positive move. The airline started its operations back in 2004 through cooperation between private investors and government of the Republic of Ghana. Besides sister African Airlines, like Afriqiyah Airways, Ghana International is the cheapest flight to Accra, Ghana International Airways (GIA) provides chartered, scheduled and cargo services at very reasonable rates [cheap flights to Accra]. Accommodations, on the other hand are at a slow pace towards improvement. The inauguration of “Obama Hotel” has however, motivated the growth of hospitality industry in Ghana. There are also rumors that “Obama Hotel” is going to make a mark in the “Guinness World Record book” for being the only hotel at the name of US president and rooms named “White house” , “Michelle” and so on…

For more details on Ghana Tourism, Cheap Flights to Accra and accommodations please visit: http://www.travelhouseuk.co.uk/cheap-flights-to/ghana/

More pilgrims stranded at Lagos airport

Lagos — Hundreds of pilgrims for this year's Hajj in Saudi Arabia were at the weekend stranded at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, as their agents could not be found.

The pilgrims claimed that their agents brought them from different states to airlift them to Jeddah on Friday evening aboard the rested Bellview Airlines flight.

They said that they were disappointed on Friday evening when an official of the airline informed them that they would not be airlifted on the Lagos-Jeddah flight, rather IRS Airlines would first ferry them from the domestic terminal to Kano where they would board a flight to Mecca.

They flaunted computer printouts of their air tickets and complained that they were not comfortable with the Lagos-Kano-Mecca arrangement.

One Alhaji Olojede Rammon, an agent who did not disclose the name of his company, said what the management of the airline introduced was not part of the agreement he had with the airline.

He said before he brought his clients to the airport, he was assured that the pilgrims would travel directly from Lagos and not through any other airport.

Some of the pilgrims who felt duped had threatened to attack a petrol station and other business interests of an agent who collected N750, 000 from each of them since 2008 to assist them travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.

One of them who did not disclose his name said he paid N3 million for four of his relations to the Ogun State-based agent who had been avoiding him since the trip to Mecca was botched last year.

He said the agent promised them that they would travel this year. "But he has not shown up here. He has switched off his phones and he is not making effort to refund the money," he declared.

In the meantime, a spokesman of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Sam Adurogboye, expressed surprise that Bellview had to sell tickets to passengers on a route it does not have permission to fly.

More so, the airline had closed its shop temporarily, and NCAA had accepted the airline's decision to suspend its scheduled domestic, regional and intercontinental pending the time it would bring aircraft to operate the routes.

Source: allafrica.com