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 Find
out about the Sustainable Cities
Program
Great
Cities of Africa Magazine Series Born at
UN World Urban Forum,
Vancouver
. By
Jerry W. Bird.
Africa
Travel Magazine's "Great Cities of Africa"
series debuts soon . Each city edition
will be updated annually in print. Travel,
Trade, Tourism and Transport are four keys
to Africa Travel Magazine's " Great Cities
of Africa" series. Bonus items include
radio profiles, audio tours, lectures and
DVD.
 African
Mayors Are Ambassadors
Abroad
What a
memorable week. After 30 years UN Habitat
returned to the seaport city of Vancouver,
British Columbia Canada. as over 10,000
delegates participated in the UN World
Urban Forum 3, and many were from Africa.
Our editors had the pleasure of taking two
groups of mayors representing different
African countries on a cultural tour - our
way to repay the wonderful hospitality we
have enjoyed in eleven years with the
Africa Travel Association as its media
voice in North America and Worldwide. The
twin goals of UN Habitat are "Adequate
shelter for all" and "sustainable human
settlements development in an urbanizing
world. " We carried the message for Africa
Tourism and its ability to reduce poverty,
enhance the environment and generate long
term employment. More->
Africa's
Green Revolution Impacts Every City and
Village.
Introduction
. AATF
- Agriculture
. Communities
in Bloom .
DFID
- UK
. Genesis
Initiative Uganda
. Rockefeller
Foundation
. USAid
. World
Mayor Website
Hold
your Conference in one of Africa's
Historic Cities
Over
30 African cities have hosted ATA World
Congresses and Symposia, representing 22
member countries. While we focus on the
North American Market, African Tourism
Ministers serve as President and
Directors, along with members from
airlines, airports, hotels, tour
operations, media and education. We are
familiar with Africa's emerging cities
since our members have covered the
continent since 1975. But we ask for your
help as well. Be an Ambassador for your
favorite city - send contact names, items
or articles to africa@dowco.com, or fax
(604) 681 6595.
Addis
Ababa: Africa's Meeting
Place
Why
did ATA choose Addis Ababa as the venue
for its 25th Anniversary Jubilee Congress
and 8th Cultural and Ecotourism Symposium?
To begin with it's today's political
capital of Africa, home of the
Organization of African Unity (OAU) and
the United Nations Economic Commission for
Africa, (UNECA). More than 95 embassies
from all over the world have their
missions in Addis Ababa. This makes the
capital of Ethiopia a city where one finds
the highest concentration of embassies in
the world after Washington DC, New York
and London. Addis Ababa is easily
accessible, having daily flights to and
from cities in Europe. Ethiopian Airlines,
Lufthansa, Alitalia, Kenya Airways, Egypt
Air, Saudia and others serve Addis Ababa.
Perhaps what makes Addis unique is that
the national carrier, Ethiopian Airlines,
serves many cities in Africa&emdash;
making it the most accessible city on the
continent. More->
About
Kampala, Uganda
Kampala,
the Capital City of Uganda, much like Rome
was originally built, is spread over seven
hills and takes its fabled name from
Kasozi K'impala, interpreted as "the hills
of the antelopes". The origin of Kampala
goes back to 1891 when the Kabaka of
Buganda held his court on Rubaga and Mengo
Hills. Today as you stand on the hills
within Kampala you are blessed with
magnificent evergreen views intermingled
with red tiled villas, green iron roofed
bungalows and tall modern buildings
surrounded by a lush green countryside and
the nearby Lake Victoria. While Kampala is
often referred to as the greenest city in
Africa, it is also the heart of Uganda,
serving as the center of commercial life
and the seat of government. It is a
vibrant modern metropolis adorned with
many beautiful gardens and parks which
provides a colorful oasis in the midst of
the urban landscape for both the citizens
and visitors to admire. Hotel facilities
range from the best in international
standards with state-of-the-art conference
facilities, to accommodations for the more
budget-minded traveler.
More->
Abuja
Nigeria. City of the
Future
"I
am Abuja, federal capital of Nigeria since
1991. I am located in the heart of
Africa's most populous country, and
confident about my future as a world
center and magnet for cultural, adventure,
educational and leisure tourism in the
magical lands of Nigeria beyond my
borders. My broad, well maintained paved
streets, attractively landscaped
boulevards and modern overpasses keep the
traffic flowing at a smooth pace, morning,
noon and night - and with wide
cinemascopic vistas in every direction,
there's no feeling of being hemmed in by
gridlock. Being in the Nigerian heartland,
I am adjacent to the states of Kogi,
Niger, Kaduna and Nassarawa. During
Carnival week festivities in late
November, visitors will see the culture of
all 36 states on display in rhythmic,
pulsating music, durbars on horseback,
camels from the far Sahara, and exotic
tribal dances. It's an unending
kaleidoscope of colorful regalia, fun
activities, parade floats, tribal masks
and costumes unique to the various states.
Born in 1976, I am considered a model city
for all of Africa, and one of the world's
handful of totally planned cities.
Calabar,
Nigeria. Window on West Africa
I
am Calabar, an historic seaport city and
former slave trading post, strategically
located on the Atlantic Coast near the
Cameroon border. I am capital of Nigeria's
Cross River State and considered the
future superstar of West African tourism.
That bright, shiny future is just around
the corner according to the Governor's
active timetable. In terms of economic
potential, I am located near Port
Harcourt, heart of Nigeria's petroleum
industry, a magnet for business travelers
from all corners of the world. What about
my mission for the new millennium? I was
selected host city for the Africa Travel
Association's 10th Cultural and Ecotourism
Symposium, a prestige event that attracts
tourism industry executives from North
America and the world. What was the key
factor for this decision?
Douala
and Yaounde: A Tale of Two
Cities
Production
is underway on our Great Cities of Africa
series which will appear on our website,
coming editions of Africa Travel Magazine,
plus and a new Radio and TV Program. Among
the first to be featured are two of my
favorite cities, both of which we have
visited several times in the last five
years. Watch for more announcements as the
launch draws closer. Just to prove that we
have made our mark in promoting Cameroon,
Africa in One Country, check the current
Google statistics from searches consulted
in August 2006. And we're sure the results
will get even better. More->
Mombasa:
Magical Sands, Sparkling
Sea.
"Mombasa
is undergoing a major face lift, from its
busy Moi International Airport and harbor
area to the downtown core, which has its
very own visitor attractions, the most
famous being historic Fort Jesus. Here's a
site that's a true time capsule with a
remarkable story to tell." -> ->
->More
Nairobi
Marches with the Times
One
of our main impressions was the remarkable
changes we saw in Nairobi in 12 months.
First of all, the city streets, parks and
boulevards had a more spruced up look,
thanks to the new landscaping and creative
street lighting program that is now fully
underway, and an anti litter program in
progress. Flower gardens were in bloom in
the traffic circles, new lamp standards
were sponsored by community conscious
companies and life seemed brighter in many
ways.
More->
Brief
Profiles:
Abidjan
.
Abuja
. Addis
Ababa
. Accra
. Agadir;
Cairo
. Calabar
. Casablanca
. Conakry
. Cape
Town
. Dar
es Salaam
. Douala
.
Essaouira
. Fès
. Kampala
. Luanda
. Lusaka
. Marrakech
. Meknès
- Mombasa:
.
Nairobi
.
Rabat
.
Timbuktu
. Yaounde
. More
to Come:
Send
items
on
your city
. Who's
Who?
. Africans
On Video . Sister
Cities
. Grass
Roots
. Famine
Relief
 Discovering
Marrakech
A
destination where one may enjoy the
customs, culture and pleasures of laid
back tourism, Marrakech is loaded with
outstanding attractions, events and
accommodation. Its conference facilities
are a magnet for international events,
trade missions and summits, such as our
ATA Ecotourism Symposium at Le Palais
d'Congrès. Where else are all the
walls and buildings tinted in a rich
pastel peach, the broad avenues and
promenades lined with rows and rows of
orange trees, with ripe fruit dangling
from their branches like holiday
ornaments? In five days of discovery, we
managed to visit a wide cross section of
hotel facilities, in order to give our
readers an idea of the choice available
for all price ranges. During a week long
escorted tour, we had the good fortune of
selecting a guide, who has become a good
friend and ambassador for Morocco in
general and Marrakech in particular.
More->
Cairo,
Egypt: Journey through
Time
Egypt's
historic capital city on the River Nile is
a fascinating place where past and present
meet. with evidence of 2000 years of
Islamic, Christian Coptic, and Jewish
culture flourishing side by side. Its
Western part includes Memphis (Giza),
former and site of the Pyramids, famous as
one of the "Seven Great Wonders of the
World." It is the largest city in the
Middle East and the center of trade routes
to three continents- Africa, Asia and
Europe. More->
Cape
Town, South
Africa
I
first visited Cape Town as a Travel Agent,
spending a month's vacation on a 'fam'
trip, 'and most recently at the 2001 ATA
Congress. It's a picture perfect location
to say the least. Framed by the panorama
of Table Mountain (floodlit at night) and
the Atlantic
Ocean
n,
Cape Town is southern Africa's most
visited destination. Founded in 1652 by
Jan van Riebeeck, it is called the "Mother
City of South Africa." Here on the
historic Western Cape, where two great
oceans and many cultures meet, you will
discover a blend of scenic beauty,
combined with healthy outdoors activities
and cultural charm. The Cape Peninsula
offers scenic drives, each with an ocean
backdrop, while the historic city is
blessed with dozens of hiking trails and
miles of sandy beaches. Table Bay attracts
sail boarders and wind surfers from around
the world. Visitors will enjoy the many
public gardens and forest groves, the
vineyards, wine estates and famous dock
area. There are hundreds of hiking trails
botanical gardens and wine estates,
indigenous Cape Dutch architecture,
Georgian and Victorian building styles.
More->
More
about Great
Cities
Great
Cities of Africa: Building Better
Cities
Addressing
the challenges of incorporating
sustainability principles into the design,
development, financing, construction,
operation and governance of cities. For
more information on the GLOBE 2008
Conference and Trade Fair,
www.globe2008.ca
Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia: Host city for the ATA
32nd World Congress in May 2007. Focus on
Ethiopia's Millennium activities,
attractions and tours.
Dar
es Salaam, Tanzania: From its early
history to its position as a major port.
Edition includes Zanzibar across the bay
from Dar es Salaam, voted one of the
world's top island vacation areas.
Profiles of new luxury hotels that are
making this area one of Africa's hot spots
for business and tourism.
Abuja
and Calabar, Nigeria:
Two cities that hosted ATA events, with
hundreds of outstanding photos. This
edition includes the remarkable
developments in Cross River State and the
cultural highlights of Abuja's
Carnival.
Kampala,
Uganda: The green city of seven hills,
Kampala hosts the Commonwealth Heads of
State.
In
Progress: Editions on Nairobi and
Mombassa, Kenya; Cairo, Egypt; Douala and
Yaounde, Cameroon: Accra and Kumasi,
Ghana; Dakar, Senegal, Cotonou, Benin;
Luanda, Angola; Lusaka and Livingstone,
Zambia, several cities in South
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