The Mpumalanga Tourism Expo has emerged as a landmark event for promoting sustainable tourism practices in South Africa. Organized annually by Jakada Holdings in partnership with the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), the event showcases the province’s rich biodiversity, cultural heritage, and tourist attractions, positioning Mpumalanga as a premier tourist destination. This year’s expo was held from 04 to 06 October 2024 at the Riverside Mall in Mbombela, and featured more than 60 exhibitors from across the country, including Gauteng,…

The Rustenburg local municipality in the North West Province has announced plans to leverage the local entertainment industry as a key driver of economic growth and position the city as an entertainment tourism hub in South Africa. This announcement was made by Executive Mayor Sheila Mabale-Huma at the official media launch of the ‘Rusty White’ annual festival on Wednesday. Speaking at the launch, Mayor Mabale-Huma said the municipality will work with various stakeholders in the entertainment industry to enhance collaboration…

Several countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have expressed interest in joining forces with tourism authorities in Mpumalanga, eSwatini and Mozambique aimed at selling their areas as preferred tourism and investment destinations. This emerged at the 4th Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) media launch in Mbombela on Thursday, August 15. The partnership, known as the Triland Cooperation, is an initiative by the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), the Eswatini Tourism Authority (ETA) and the Mozambique Tourism…

Within the framework of the Russian BRICS Chairmanship, the first online meeting of the Contact Group on Tourism was held. In addition to the permanent members of the association, new BRICS members Egypt, UAE and Ethiopia took part. This is reported by the official website of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. “We are actively working to promote interesting tourist destinations in the BRICS countries,” said Nikita Kondratyev, Director of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and…

The beach rankings were compiled and published by BeachAtlas, a London-based startup, used an algorithm to shortlist 100 beaches according to six criteria. The evaluation criteria included aspects such as value to the local community, natural uniqueness, diversity, inclusiveness, environmental friendliness and cultural and historical significance. Boulders Beach (South Africa) was ranked 2nd in the ranking. It is not just a sandy beach, but a bustling metropolis for African penguins. Copacabana (Rio de Janeiro) also entered the top ten and…

“Citizens of more than 30 contries will no longer need visas to travel to Iran from 4 February. Instead, they will be able to simply purchase a ticket to visit the country,” Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Bigdeli said. These countries include India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Cuba and others. For Russian citizens, visas are waived in case travellers go to Iran in tour groups. Tourism Minister Ezzatollah Zarghami noted that the government intended to open the country to the…

Between January and December 2023, the number of international travellers arriving in South Africa was 8.5 million. This is a 48.9 per cent increase over the same period in 2022. According to South Africa’s national statistics agency (Stats SA), 6.4 million visitors from the African continent alone will visit the country in 2023, representing 75.6 per cent of total arrivals. According to statistics, there has been a marked increase in the number of travellers from Zimbabwe and Kenya. Between January…

The number of industries interested in investing in Rio increased by 33% in 2023. The number of industrial companies interested in opening or expanding their business in the state of Rio de Janeiro increased by 33% last year compared to 2022. According to the Rio de Janeiro State Industrial Development Company (Codin), 123 firms have had their applications for tax incentives approved during this period. “The state of Rio de Janeiro is becoming increasingly attractive for business. It is proved…

Mozambique’s flagship airline carrier, Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (LAM), is cementing its regional reach with the re-launching of two new routes to the country’s major tourist destinations of Vilankulo (Inhambane province) and Beira (Sofala province). “We are marking this resumption of flights with the strong aim of bringing to Vilankulo people eager to have contact with the wonders of this land”, João Carlos Pó Jorge, LAM’s Director General, said on Sunday after the inaugural flight from Johannesburg (South Africa) to…

COMPETITION for space between humans and wildlife has become a threat to both animals and forests, which are the backbone of the tourism industry, a top conservationist has said. Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) Director General Fulton Mangwanya said this problem needed to be urgently addressed. “Today, due to the ever-growing population in Africa and the whole world, we have noted with concern the competition for space between humans and wildlife,” Mangwanya said. “As a result, landscapes are…