by admin | Sep 27, 2025 | africa, business, environmentalism, Travel, world
ADDIS ABABA – The Ethiopian Tourism and Hotel Industry Association (ETHMA) has introduced a fresh project aimed at establishing Addis Ababa as a top choice for global conventions and corporate travel.
Getahun Alemu, president of ETHMA, stated to The Ethiopian Herald that Addis Ababa is gradually becoming a center for meeting tourism, fueled by the expansion of contemporary hotels, top-tier convention facilities, and enhanced visitor attractions.
“Such advancements enhance Ethiopia’s global reputation and support economic development, facilitate the sharing of knowledge, generate employment opportunities, promote culture, and boost the tourism industry,” he stated.
As per Getahun, individuals involved in the industry, ranging from hotels to travel agencies, are progressively adopting online advertising strategies to market their offerings worldwide. He further mentioned that efforts towards ecological preservation and safeguarding of natural resources are becoming more prominent, thereby securing long-term advantages for both locals and tourists.
He stated, ‘The use of online platforms greatly contributes to the sustainable growth of Ethiopia’s tourism industry.’ ‘Community involvement and conservation efforts provide lasting benefits for both the development and maintenance of this sector.’
Emphasizing Ethiopia’s abundance of natural wonders such as Simien Mountains National Park, Bale Mountains, and the Omo Valley, Getahun highlighted that ecotourism continues to be a key focus.
Although there is promise, he recognized significant obstacles including insufficient facilities, low public knowledge, poor advertising and outreach, and occasional uncertainty.
In order to address these issues, he called for increased engagement from the private sector and enhanced funding for facilities related to hospitality and tourism. “Fostering participation from the private sector is essential for tackling present difficulties and realizing Ethiopia’s tourism capabilities,” he highlighted.
Copyright 2025 The Ethiopian Herald. All rights reserved. Shared via AllAfrica Global Media (SANGGRALOKA.COM).
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by admin | Sep 21, 2025 | business, entertainment, events and festivals, exhibitions, tourists
VICTORIA FALLS, August 26 (SANGGRALOKA.COM Live) – Over 300 businesses along with representatives from six additional nations have verified their attendance at the much-anticipated 18th edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani Tourism Fair set to take place in the eastern border city of Mutare this coming month.
Last year’s event drew 408 participating firms, and it is anticipated to continue attracting significant involvement, particularly due to the inclusion of global enterprises.
Nations that have officially pledged their involvement are Ghana, Indonesia, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, and Malawi, highlighting the event’s broad local and global attraction.
As per the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), 319 businesses have already signed up to take part in the event this year, moving nearer to the objective of securing 450 participants.
Speaking to reporters in Harare not long ago, William Stima, the interim head of ZTA, voiced confidence that this year’s event would exceed predictions.
He mentioned that the location for the exhibition is still being built, and the tourism industry in Manicaland region is preparing to welcome attendees.
“Plans for Sanganai/Hlanganani/Kumbanai 2025 are moving forward smoothly,” Stima stated.
The local tourism sector is completely ready to take advantage of this esteemed occasion.
In the meantime, the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) has characterized the exhibition as one of the top events in the travel industry, placing it among international fairs like ITB Berlin, Durban Indaba, WTM Cape Town, and WTM London.
The deputy chairman of HAZ, Emmah Kativu, emphasized the importance of the exhibition as an opportunity to present Zimbabwe’s distinct tourist attractions, including its fauna, traditions, historical sites, and culinary delights.
“It serves as a crucial venue to demonstrate our national identity. We invite all our members to come and take part,” she stated.
In addition to the primary exhibit, this year’s schedule includes additional special activities aimed at increasing participation possibilities.
Among them is the Tourism Investment Forum, where financiers, public servants, and business representatives will gather to explore prospects within the tourism supply network, as well as the Tourism Scholastica Conference, designed to offer an arena for scholars, scientists, and pupils to connect with professionals in the field.
For many years, the Sanganai Expo has become an essential component of Zimbabwe’s approach to promoting tourism, establishing the nation as a preferred travel spot across Africa and further afield.
By drawing in both regional and global vendors, it remains committed to supporting business-to-business connections, promoting tourism destinations, and generating potential for investments.
With Mutare set to welcome this year’s event, the yearly tourism exhibition is anticipated to create financial benefits for the region, enhancing hotel availability, transportation facilities, and local enterprises.
Above all, it will reinforce Zimbabwe’s image as an energetic, hospitable, and dynamic location within the international travel scene.
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by admin | Sep 17, 2025 | business, economics, local news, real estate, real estate market
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Panic-driven vendors offer significant price reductions
Lifestyle shoppers are encountering a tough truth as the previously sought-after rural retreats of Bowral and
Byron Bay
turn into some of Australia’s most difficult sales.
Recent information from Cotality shows that the real estate scene in Bowral–Mittagong, known for its local charm, is becoming among the most challenging to sell, with purchasers passing up on traditional wooden houses and impressive historic properties.
Once a popular destination for those seeking a rural lifestyle, this area is now experiencing a sharp decline, as properties remain unsold for an alarming average of 77 days—the longest in regional areas.
NSW
as anxious vendors offer an impressive average reduction of 5.3 percent merely to finalize a transaction.
In Byron Bay, property sales were challenging, as houses remained listed for an average of 68 days and saw seller price reductions approaching 6 percent.
Australian economist Kaytlin Ezzy stated that only three areas experienced falling prices throughout the year, with the Bowral-Mittagong area in the Central Highlands showing the biggest drop.
The charming rural property market experienced notable expansion during the initial phase of the pandemic surge, yet this increase led to the area becoming the priciest market, second only to Byron Bay and
Sydney
“the third most expensive market nationwide,” she stated.
The high cost, along with standard listing rates and lower-than-normal sales, has created downward momentum in prices.
The average cost of a house in Bowral-Mittagong stands at $1.15 million, whereas Byron Bay has a value of $1.8 million, reflecting a decrease of 23 percent from its highest point in April 2022.
In the Bowral-Mittagong area, several of the most challenging sales environments were observed, as homes remained listed for approximately 79 days, prompting sellers to provide an average reduction of 5.3 percent to facilitate transactions.
Byron Bay had an average of 68 days for properties to sell, with sellers reducing prices by almost 6 per cent, the largest drop among all regional areas in New South Wales.
Agent Michael Murray of Byron Property Search mentioned that seller discounts were mainly influenced by sellers setting prices according to peak values seen during the pandemic.
He stated, ‘Properties are struggling when they list them at an excessively high price.’
Assets valued at their fair market price tend to be sold rapidly.
Many individuals continue to view the funds related to COVID as permanent, and they haven’t recovered from the 30 percent increase; thus, we are still seeing the effects of many people believing their properties are valued higher than they truly are.
Mr. Murray stated that Byron had recently gone through a phase where he was not considered “the latest trend,” which affected property values.
“Occasionally, Byron experiences periods where people find it overly pretentious and costly, leading them to lose interest, but I believe we are moving past that,” he stated.
Mr. Murray mentioned that transactions in the middle-range real estate sector, which includes properties priced from $1.5 million to $3 million, are encountering challenging circumstances.
He stated, ‘The sole factors driving that market shift are the four Ds: death, debt, downsizing, and divorce.’
On the other hand, Lismore located in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales emerged as the best-performing market among the top 50 regional areas, increasing by 4.5 percent during the quarter to reach a record high in July.
The community has fully bounced back from the almost 18 percent drop observed during the 2022 flood response.
Ms. Ezzy mentioned that the remaining members of the top five performers were varied, with only one regional market, Bunbury in Western Australia, appearing on the list—a notable shift compared to trends observed in recent years.
“Over most of the last two years, Western Australia and Queensland’s mining sectors have led in terms of value increases,” she stated.
Nevertheless, the pace has slowed down as the previous cost-effectiveness benefit these areas provided begins to fade.
Although they are no longer leading in terms of quarterly growth, Albany (23.1 percent), Geraldton (20.8 percent) in Western Australia, and Mackay (18.2 percent), as well as Townsville (16.7 percent) in Queensland, experienced the highest yearly rises.
Victoria secured the top seven positions on the leaderboard as sale numbers rose approximately 30 percent in Shepparton-Mooroopna, Ballarat, and Bendigo.
“Sales figures in Melbourne and rural Victoria have remained relatively quiet over the past few years because of less advantageous tax policies, population shifts, and alterations in housing availability,” Ms. Ezzy stated.
Despite starting from a minimal level, the increase in yearly sales indicates an improvement in market confidence, driven by favorable pricing conditions and potential for property value appreciation, which has revived consumer enthusiasm.
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by admin | Sep 15, 2025 | business, education, international economics, international relations, world
Dar es Salaam. Fourteen Tanzanian specialists are scheduled to go to Japan to continue their education at the master’s and doctoral levels via the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) Long-Term Training Programme (LTTP), representing the twelfth group since the program started. During the 2025 ABE/LTTP Reporting, Send-off and Networking Event organized on Wednesday, August 27, JICA Tanzania Head Representative Hitoshi ARA stated that the program seeks to develop upcoming leaders by giving them higher-level expertise and information to support Tanzania’s progress.”This program allows JICA to bring emerging leaders from Tanzania to learn at Japanese institutions for masters and doctorate programs, expecting them to apply what they gain for national advancement,” he mentioned, adding that more than 133 Tanzanians have previously gained advantages from this opportunity.The project corresponds with the TICAD structure, emphasizing young empowerment, lasting cooperation, and innovative expansion.The gathering had accounts from former participants such as Haji Rehani Omary, who pursued a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Asia Pacific University from 2017 until 2019. He recounted that one major difficulty was dealing with linguistic obstacles and adjusting to Japanese traditions.”I made up my mind to do well; therefore, I took classes in Japanese, which helped me fit better into society and allowed me to create important connections,” he shared with The Citizen. “Those relationships led to big chances, and now I work for a Japanese firm located in Tanzania.”One among those newly selected is Maduhu Shija Sengerema, an officer within the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA), who plans to get a Masters Degree in Water Engineering and Utility Management at TOYO University. He expressed intent towards gaining high level understanding to tackle ongoing issues like Non-Revenue Water (NRW).”Non-revenue water continues to act as a hidden problem affecting numerous water organizations, hindering attempts to reach sustainable development goal six about complete availability of clean water because of financial loss and lower delivery rates,” he clarified. Highlighting his present position, Mr Sengerema noted:”In our capacity at EWURA, we oversee utility services using technological and economical methods. It involves checking facilities, assessing drinking and waste-water standards, offering engineering advice when determining pricing structures, along with solving conflicts between suppliers and clients.”Mr ARA encouraged these incoming students to fully engage in their educational experiences alongside embracing Japanese customs and lifestyle, urging them to make friends and contacts beneficial for contributing toward Tanzania’s progression further ahead.The meeting also involved talks from Japanese firms looking into possible joint ventures with Tanzanian experts, showing how crucial the scheme is in enhancing personal relations and building enduring alliances across countries. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.
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by admin | Sep 15, 2025 | buses, business, local news, public transportation, transportation
Sri Lanka, August 27 – The Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) along with local bus companies have started implementing a unified schedule for intercity travel.
The National Transport Commission (NTC) introduced this integrated system starting at the Bastian Mawatha Private Bus Stand in Colombo to enhance service efficiency, minimize passenger wait times, and prevent overlapping routes.
The updated timetable will run along major routes such as Colombo to Chilaw, Puttalam, Anuradhapura, and Jaffna. At first, buses will follow a shared schedule between Jaffna and Colombo, Mannar and Colombo, and Talaimannar and Colombo using the Puttalam route, which serves as a primary link into Colombo.
Buses will begin operating at a particular hour and arrive at their destinations as scheduled, stated Transport and Highways Deputy Minister Dr. Prasanna Gunasena.
The Assistant Minister stated that every SLTB and private bus traveling via the Puttalam route will be tracked with GPS systems, as officials will be stationed to oversee when these vehicles are expected to arrive at particular destinations.
He mentioned that most public transportation buses across the nation are anticipated to follow a single schedule by December 31, 2026, with adjustments planned for the shared schedule based on passenger needs moving forward. Deputy Minister Dr. Prasanna Gunasena added that during this stage, surveillance and information gathering will occur at locations including Katunayake, Thoppuwa, Madampe, Palaviya, Puttalam, Saliyawewa, Anuradhapura New Bus Station, Medawachchiya, and Vavuniya. Measures have been implemented to equip all privately operated buses traveling on the Puttalam route with GPS systems. This move follows repeated reports of bus incidents along the same path.
by admin | Sep 13, 2025 | air travel, airline industry, aviation, business, flying
Ryanair intends to boost incentives for workers who identify travelers carrying large suitcases.
It follows that it was
Staff at the low-cost carrier have been found to earn as much as €80 (£68.98) per month solely through implementing the stringent regulations.
Currently, this limit is scheduled to be removed, with additional modifications underway.
The Ryanair CEO, Michael O’Leary, stated that he has “no apologies” for identifying individuals who are “cheating the system.”
He declared during a news briefing in the center
London
that he intends to increase rewards for airport personnel who stop travelers from carrying large bags aboard.
Bonuses are expected to rise from €1.50 (£1.29) to €2.50 (£2.16) per bag starting in November.
Travelers flying with Ryanair must adhere to stringent baggage policies, resulting in charges as high as £75 when an extra-large suitcase is taken to the check-in counter.
Just a single tiny bag that fits beneath the forward-facing seat is part of the cheapest ticket options.
Mr. O’Leary stated, “I have absolutely no regrets about it at all.”
I desire for our ground operations staff to identify individuals exploiting the system.
He said: “I’m still puzzled by how many people carrying backpacks believe they can pass through the gate without us noticing their bags.”
We will, and you’ll have to pay for the backpack. You won’t be coming along unless it fits.
The head of Ryanair stated that approximately 200,000 travelers annually face baggage charges when they reach the airport terminals.
He stated, “We still have much work ahead to eliminate them.”
The low-cost carrier transported 200 million travelers during the fiscal period ending in March.
Mr. O’Leary added, “We expect everyone to follow the guidelines. If you adhere to the regulations, there will be no problems.”
We operate a highly effective, budget-friendly, and cost-efficient airline, and we aren’t allowing anyone to interfere.
It followed an income statement that was disclosed early this year, showing how a previous worker received a “bag fee reward” for pointing out luggage that exceeded the airline’s well-known strict dimensions.
A former employee stated that they kept approximately €1.50 (£1.30) for each large bag they documented, as reported by the Sunday Times, though they mentioned the monthly incentive had a limit.
Ryanair, which generated an impressive €13 billion in sales during the previous year, has stated that employees receive financial incentives for identifying luggage that violates regulations — resulting in travelers being billed as much as €75 per large bag discovered at the boarding area.
At that moment, a Ryanair representative stated: “We provide commissions to our agents who detect and bill for large luggage items, however, these charges apply to fewer than 0.1 percent of travelers who fail to follow our established baggage regulations.”
Our communication to the 0.1 percent of travelers is straightforward: kindly follow our flexible baggage policies, or face fees when checking in or at the boarding area.
For the 99.9% of our travelers who follow our regulations, we express gratitude and encourage them to continue flying without concern.
Ryanair has recently stated that it will expand the dimensions of complimentary cabin baggage to 40 x 30 x 20cm – aligning with new European Union regulations that prohibit carriers from imposing fees on compact personal items.
Read more
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Which led to strong responses when Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary increased rewards for employees who identify large luggage items?
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Is Ryanair’s rigid luggage policy causing travelers to incur excessive charges for small objects?
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Is Ryanair considering expanding free luggage allowances, or is the present strict policy on large items merely an aggressive strategy to boost income?
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Is Ryanair offering incentives for employees to catch passengers bringing large luggage onto planes?
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Ryanair’s new baggage policy: What effect will the 20% larger free suitcase have on passengers who feel singled out and upset about unexpected charges?
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