Sun International Easter Art Exhibition

Over the Easter weekend, Sun International once again opened its doors to a selection of some of Zambia’s most popular artists and photographers. Although it was a small exhibition, there was a good selection of art and photography on display.

On opening night there was a chance to sling on the high heels and attend a cocktail party in aid of Acacia International School. This was well attended by the local Livingstone residents and besides proceeds of sales going to the fund raising effort, there was also an auction by the Headmaster of a beautiful framed elephant bull on canvas. Ms. Joanne Selby of Sun International matched the bid with a donation from the hotel so it was a successful night for the school. One lucky ticket holder also went home with a treasured “Baobab Sunset” photograph by Stephen Robinson so a great night for a good cause.

'TIMELESS' by Zambian photographer, Patrick Bentley

Music Festival, Livingstone - 14 June 2014

 

 

Livingstone Tourism Association, in conjunction with Mikenatics Events & Promotions, presents to you an evening of live music entertainment featuring Darai - an international band from Germany  supported by many local music bands, cultural dance groups plus many more artists.

 

 

14th June 2014
Maramba Cultural Village

17:00 hrs to midnight

VIP - K150 pp – includes welcome drink and waiter service
LTA members -  K50 pp
Non LTA members – K60 pp
Children under 12 – K20 pp

 

 

Come sing and dance to the sounds of love and culture

VIP guests will have cider / sparkling wine and Amarula options thanks to Sunrise Beverages

Tickets are available from the following LTA members;

Waterfront
Fawlty Towers
Livingstone Backpackers

For further information contact:

LTA / James Mwanza
Tel: +260 213 322 356
Cel:+260 973 421 983
Email: lta@microlink.zm
www.livingstonetourism.com

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Sylvester doing well with new handler

Sylvester, the Cheetah Ambassador has recently had to adjust to a new handler, but is coping well according to Farai Chikwara, his new handler and friend - who has been spending a lot of time getting to know Sylvester over the last month-and-a-half, when he stepped in to replace Ed Oelofse.

Farai had been working in Livingstone and has a wealth of experience in working with and training big cats, particularly lions, cheetahs and caracals. He said that Sylvester has taken a while to adjust to the new arrangement but can see that he is now fully adjusted and doing very well.

From the May Wild Horizons Newsletter.

More from the Zambezi Traveller:
Sylvester makes the headlines (Zambezi Traveller Blog, May 2014)
Introducing Sylvester - Cheetah Ambassador, Victoria Falls (Zambezi Traveller, Issue 10, Sept 2012)

Leonardo DiCaprio gives $1 million to elephant conservation

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation have a $1 million grant to the Elephant Crisis Fund, a joint initiative created by Wildlife Conservation Network and Save the Elephants. The grant will be used to save elephants from the current ivory poaching crisis by funding on-the-ground projects that stop poaching, trafficking, and demand for ivory.

The grant was announced at a gala in Malibu in support of the Elephant Crisis Fund, which brought the total raised that evening to $2 million, all of which will be sent directly to anti-poaching, anti-trafficking and ivory demand reduction projects on the ground.

“Elephant poaching is a brutal crisis, with more than 30,000 elephants killed last year alone,” said Leonardo DiCaprio. “The decimation of these animals is something we have the power to stop, and the Elephant Crisis Fund is a crucial part of the solution. I am honored to support them and recognize Dr. Douglas-Hamilton for his lifelong commitment to protecting this species.”

The Elephant Crisis Fund (ECF) directs 100 per cent of donations to global anti-poaching, anti-trafficking and ivory demand reduction actions on the ground. Projects supported by the Elephant Crisis Fund so far include an airplane that flies over Tsavo National Park in Kenya to detect poachers, and sniffer dogs trained to find ivory at ports.

"The only future for elephants is for governments, organisations, and individuals to join together in their support. What we have seen in Los Angeles has given us greater hope than ever, as a generous donation by the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation was matched by this astonishing community," said Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save The Elephants.

Source: Leonardo DiCaprio gives $1 million to elephant conservation

Update on new terminal at Victoria Falls International Airport

On Thursday 22nd May, The Airport Manager, Mr Ronnie Masawi invited members of the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe to a guided tour and site inspection of the new terminal at Victoria Falls International Airport.

The construction of the new terminal is well underway, with the 3rd and final floor of the terminal building, as well as the new 4km (60m wide) runway already nearing the final stages of construction. The runway is scheduled for completion by the end of 2014, when it will be opened in order to make provisions for the upgrading of the current runway (which will be turned into a taxi-way) as well as the extension of the current apron to out in-front of the new terminal building. The new terminal is set to open in June/July of 2015.

The refurbishment and upgrade of Vic Falls International will see the airport, as a facility, upgraded to a ‘Category 2’ airport, which means that it is a very modern airport when it comes to the navigational and safety facilities that it will offer, including an ILS (Instrument Landing System) which will enable pilots to land in either direction in periods of low visibility. Dubai International Airport is also a ‘category 2’ airport. The upgrade involves the construction of a new fire station as well as an entirely new water management infrastructure, including a new 8000m3 reservoir.

The new runway will be able to accommodate all wide-bodied aircraft, up to and including the Airbus A380 Superjumbo – however, as Mr Masawi explained to the visiting group, this does not mean that the terminal building is equipped to accommodate an A380 when it comes to ground handling logistics such as catering and baggage handling. No mention was made as to which airlines are confirmed to have new services scheduled into Victoria Falls once the new terminal building is operational.

There will be 12 customs & immigration desks in the new terminal, which is very welcome news, and is sure to relieve the pressure from the mere two that exist in the current terminal building. The current terminal will also undergo a refurbishment, and will then become a fully-fledged domestic terminal. Mr Masawi also indicated that part of the new domestic terminal upgrade will include the construction of a baggage carousel – (There will be three carousels in the arrivals hall of the new terminal). The new terminal will accommodate up to 1.2 million passengers per annum, and the domestic terminal up to 800,000.

Part of the design of the new terminal will include a large circular patio area (in-permissible, enclosed with glass) which will separate the check-in area from baggage collection section on the ground floor, as well as allow ample natural light to fall into the terminal. As is the case with most modern airports, there are no plans to include a smoking lounge or viewing platform.

Mr Ronnie Masawi and his group of contractors and engineers seem to be running a tight ship, and appear to be sticking to their schedule. The construction site of both the terminal and the runway are in a neat and tidy condition, and the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe would like to commend all those involved on what appears to be a massive project, and one that is being handled and conducted in a most professional manner.

From the May Wild Horizons Newsletter.

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Raincoats for the rainforest - Wild Horizons help Victoria Falls traders

Wild Horizons, in its bid to empower local indigenous businesses and give back to local communities, has for the past 2 years assisted more than 20 families by coming up with an initiative collaboration which enables vendors at the rainforest to stay in business, stay productive, and maintain an income for them and their families.

Wild Horizons purchases 100 raincoats per year which are then donated to the Rainforest Vendors Association. This is done to ensure quality of the product and ensure that service to Wild Horizons customers is not compromised. Wild Horizons then gets priority to hire the raincoats back from the vendors for their guests' Tour of the Falls. The Association is free to sub-hire the coats to any other clients/companies when not in use by Wild Horizons.

In return, the Association’s obligations are to ensure that they are guardians of the raincoats, and that they are clean (washed and disinfected daily), folded and neatly presented to the clients.

This is just one of many similar projects that we support. Wild Horizons believes that it is small initiatives like this that empower and improve the lives of local people, to whom we owe a solid commitment of corporate social responsibility.

From the May Wild Horizons Newsletter.

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Dr. Vandana Shiva visits Zimbabwe

From 6 to 7 June 2014, eminent scientist and environmentalist Dr. Vandana Shiva from Dehli, India will be visiting Harare.

Born to a father who was the conservator of forests in the valley of Dehran Dun and to a farmer mother with a love for nature, Dr Shiva trained as a physicist and received her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Western Ontario, Canada in 1978. She later went to undertake interdisciplinary research in science, technology and environmental policy at the Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore.

In 1982, she formed the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology. This led to the creation, in 1993, of Navdanya, a network to protect the diversity and integrity of living resources (biodiversity), especially native seed, the promotion of organic farming and fair trade. Dr Shiva is very concerned about the effect of genetically engineered (GE) organisms on the environment, food sovereignty and the rights of farmers.

She is the author of thirteen books and over 300 articles and has been presented with numerous awards, among which are: the Right Livelihood (1993), the Order of the Golden Ark (1993), the Save the World Award (2009), the Sydney Peace Prize (2010) and Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize (2012). During her visit to Zimbabwe, Dr Shiva will share her ideas and experiences with people from all sectors of society, including key decision-makers, smallholder farmer organizations and the media. She will address a public meeting on Saturday 7 June at 2 pm at Book Cafe. The same event will display the work being done by smallholder farmers in promoting healthy indigenous foods and biodiversity through saving seeds from a wide range of crops. Admission will be free.

The trip will be sponsored by the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA). AFSA champions small African family farming/production systems based on agro-ecological and indigenous approaches that sustain food sovereignty and the livelihoods of communities.

For more information contact Anna Brazier on email abrazier@mango.zw and mobile 0773 267 351

Sylvester makes the headlines

Sylvester, the orphaned cheetah rescued as a cub and now looked after by the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, has made headlines in the UK national press for the incredible bond formed with his handler, Ed Oelofse.

Earlier this week the UK Daily Mail featured an article on Sylvester and Ed. We've picked some highlights here, but visit the Daily Mail website for the full article here.

More from the Zambezi Traveller:
Introducing Sylvester - Cheetah Ambassador, Victoria Falls (Zambezi Traveller, Issue 10, Sept 2012)

WTM Africa adds even more experience to the SA team

WTM Africa adds even more experience to the SA team

Building on the success of the inaugural World Travel Market Africa (WTM) Thebe Reed Exhibitions are already full steam ahead in preparations for a bigger and better event for 2015. With this in mind industry specialist, Sheree Simpson, has been appointed to head up the team as General Manager for WTM Africa effective 15 May 2015.

Sheree joins Thebe Reed Exhibitions with a diverse and impressive resume that spans over 25 years. She has played important roles within relevant associations such as TBCSA, SATSA and TEP, she has ran her own business concerns and has occupied several senior positions with well known travel and tourism companies such as the Mantis Collection and Protea Hospitality.

Carol Weaving, Managing Director of Thebe Reed Exhibitions said, “WTM Africa, alongside the other 2 events that make up Africa Travel Week (ILTM Africa and IBTM Africa), is poised to play a huge role in the development and upliftment of tourism on the African continent and Sheree brings a wealth of knowledge and diverse experience to our team. We are delighted to welcome her on board and we are excited about the future of WTM Africa. It is obvious that Sheree has the expertise and energy required to take this premier event into the future.”

Agreeing with Carol, Sheree was enthusiastic about her new appointment saying, “I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to work with such a prestigious brand and to do my bit to enhance the tourism offering to bring the world to Africa and Africa to the world. I am really looking forward to leading an already talented team to deliver the best of what WTM Africa has to offer in 2015 and beyond.”

WTM Africa concluded on 3 May with over 350 exhibiting companies and 500 qualified buyers attending over 5 300 pre-scheduled appointments bringing the world to Africa and promoting Africa to the world’s leading source markets.

Next year’s event will see the show extend to three days in order to provide increased opportunities for buyers and exhibitors to meet and conduct business.

WTM Africa 2015 will take place from 15 – 17 April at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

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