AFRICAN OPEN SKIES THE KEY TO REACHING
TRAVEL AND TOURISM POTENTIAL
“African states must work together to open
the continent’s skies in order to maximize
the potential of the travel and tourism
sector.”
That is the message from David Scowsill,
President and CEO, World Travel & Tourism
Council (WTTC), at a major speech in South
Africa, today.
Speaking at the World Routes Strategy Summit
in Durban, Scowsill hailed the success of
air liberalizing initiatives across the
world and called on Africa’s governments to
put aside decades of differences, to heed
the success of open skies reforms across the
world by fully implementing open skies
across the continent.
“Africa is a vast continent. The distances
between the major cities is so great, with
poor trans-continental road and rail
networks, that flying is the only realistic
way to travel.
"The economic potential of tourism in Africa
is remarkable. According to our figures it
will rival Asia Pacific for growth in the
next decade. But for this to materialize or
even be exceeded, it needs individual
nations to work together on progressively
implementing the Yamoussoukro Agreement
signed over 25 years ago.”
“The biggest single opportunity for Africa
is to fully liberalize its air travel. The
role of aviation in creating jobs and
driving economic growth is too important to
be ignored, particularly when restrained by
one ministry’s mandate to protect a national
airline. The industry requires a coherent
aviation policy. It cannot make financial
sense for a country to protect one or two
companies, at the expense of the economic
growth of an entire industry.
Travel and tourism generates economic
growth, jobs and investment. Aviation
liberalization creates more routes, greater
competition and lower fares. We urge the
continent’s leaders to fully liberalize
aviation for the potential of our industry
to be fully realized.”
Source: WTTC
Durban, KwaZulu-Natal announced as official host
destination of 21st World Route Development Forum
It was announced today at the BRICS Summit, which is
currently taking place in Durban, South Africa that
KwaZulu-Natal Province (KZN) will play host to the
21st World Route Development Forum (World Routes) at
ICC Durban from 20th -22nd September 2015. This
marks the first time in its history that the event
has been held in Africa.
World Routes is the global meeting place for every
airline, airport, tourism board and government
stakeholder and attracts attendees from over 110
countries. The event is focused around the
development of the world’s air services and hosting
World Routes provides a unique opportunity for a
destination to showcase its airport, its city and
its country to the air service decision-makers of
the world.
The announcement of Durban, KZN as the Host for
World Routes 2015 represents the culmination of a
successful bid to host the event driven by the
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and
Tourism in which all of the region’s key
stakeholders were involved in supporting the
proposal. These stakeholders included; Tourism
KwaZulu-Natal; Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal;
Airports Company South Africa; King Shaka
International Airport; Dube TradePort Corporation;
South Africa National Convention Bureau; Durban
KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau and South African
Airways.
“I’m delighted that World Routes will be taking
place in Africa in 2015 and it is fitting, with such
a focus on the development of international trade,
that we are bringing it to Durban and the region of
KwaZulu-Natal,” said David Stroud, Executive Vice
President, Routes UBM Live continuing: “I’d like to
thank all the team in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal for all
the hard work that’s been done throughout the host
bidding process, you’ve done a fantastic job, and I
know it’s going to be a great success.
Congratulations, we look forward to working with
you.”
Commenting on the successful bid, the Provincial
Minister for Economic Development and Tourism, Mr.
Michael Mabuyakhulu said: “The announcement by UBM
Live to award KwaZulu-Natal the rights to host World
Routes 2015 in Durban is a significant achievement
for our country in particular and Africa in general,
given the fact that this event will be hosted on the
continent for the very first time.”
“World Routes 2015 will position our flagship
development, southern Africa’s premier air logistics
platform and the home of the continent's first
purpose built aerotropolis, the Dube Trade Port,
which incorporates the King Shaka International
Airport for a major growth in air services. At the
official opening of Dube Trade Port last year, our
president His Excellency President Jacob Zuma challenged
us to grow King Shaka International Airport into
becoming an alternative aviation hub. Bringing
World Routes 2015 to KwaZulu-Natal is our response
to this challenge, amongst our other strategic
initiatives. The KwaZulu-Natal province has
participated in past World Routes events and based
on our analysis we have seen how air services have
improved in airports that have hosted these events.
It is, therefore, our plan to leverage on the
hosting of World Routes 2015 to help grow air lift
out of King Shaka International Airport, the host
airport for this event.” he said.
“I would like to thank the Bid Committee led by our
Head of Department, Mr Desmond Golding, our partners
in this bid: ACSA, SAA, Ministry for Public
Enterprises and City of Durban for the support they
gave us in bidding for this event. Above all we
thank UBM Live for showing confidence not only in
KwaZulu-Natal, but also in our beautiful country.
We will work hard to help UBM Live deliver the best
event in 2015,” he added.
KwaZulu-Natal Province is the country’s most popular
domestic leisure tourism destination and is home to
Africa’s busiest sea-ports: Durban – the busiest in
Africa and Richards Bay – the deepest in Africa.
The city of Durban is a vibrant city overflowing
with cultural diversity and is the second largest in
South Africa with a population of around 4 million.
King Shaka International Airport is a multi-billion
Rand international airport which opened in May 2010
ahead of the FIFA World Cup Championships. The
Airport, along with its adjacent trade port “Dube
TradePort” provides world-class facilities for
intercontinental passenger travel and freight
transfer.
The city of Durban and KwaZulu-Natal Province have
embarked upon a development strategy to grow the
regional tourism economy and to increase the number
of international tourists to KZN by 2030. The plan
is to grow passenger and cargo airlift out of King
Shaka International Airport and hosting World Routes
2015 will assist in improving the air services
potential of the airport, coupled with the trade
gateway operations of the two sea ports. In
addition, bringing the event to the growing aviation
market of Africa, which also has significant
potential, will be of huge benefit to the region.
www.flynationwide.co.za
Nationwide
Airways
Nationwide
Airlines and the Mpumalanga Kruger International
Airport
Nationwide
Airlines, South Africa is planning to commence
scheduled services to the new Kruger Mpumalanga
International Airport (MQP) from 6th Dec
2002.
The initial
start-up schedule will comprise of four return
flights a week, operating between Cape Town,
Johannesburg and Kruger, Monday's/ Wednesday's /
Friday's and Sunday's. More flights are planned
from March 2003 offering in addition connections to
Victoria Falls Zambia and Port Elizabeth, these
will be added as the destination moves towards its
peak season.
'Nationwide
Airlines has always been an enthusiastic supporter
of this new and important gateway to the Kruger
Park.' Said commercial executive Chris Hoare 'Our
large international tour operators have always been
somewhat frustrated by the lack of capacity to the
destination, often having to resort to expensive
charter and long coach drives when faced with their
big groups. Now, with this new Boeing 747 capable
airport available to us, we are able to move
passengers in the volumes demanded by our key
clients and to connect Cape Town with this
important well known destination'.
Nationwide's 09:45
departure out of Cape Town bound for Kruger, offers
a leisurely start to a safari program in contrast
with the red-eye specials currently on offer. An
afternoon return flight will allow guests a morning
game-drive and a brunch before they move on down to
Cape Town.
Nationwide is also
planning a lodge hopper service that will carry its
passengers onwards from MQP to the private lodges
in the region.
Additional flights
and added value features of this new Nationwide
service, will be announced in due
course.
For more
information: visit their website on
www.flynationwide.co.za
Facilities
6 car rental
companies have been confirmed as tenants at the
airport. Many private lodges and charter operations
as well as two hotel chains will also take up
lounges on the mezzanine level. A further press
statement with their names and contact details will
be furnished shortly, once all the contracts and
rental agreements have been signed.
The shop fittings
in the terminal building are nearing completion. At
this stage of going to press more than 90% of the
full time contractors on site have completed their
projects.
Contact: Irvin
Phenyane:
Business Development Manager
Martie Malan: Marketing Manager
Tel : +27 13 755
4377
Fax : +27 13 755
3135
Flight schedules,
airport fees and taxes
Fees and updated
information are on our website,
www.kmiairport.co.za
Send all email
queries to
<mailto:info@kmiairport.co.za>info@kmiairport.co.za
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