recent cape-town news from travelnews.co.za
V A to break ground on next phase of development
Cape Towns V A Waterfront is rolling out plans for its next phase of development. The R20 billion (1bn) development will take place in phases over the next 15-20 years, with plans to break ground next year. The V A Waterfront has initiated the next phase of its growth and development wi
Two SA luxury trains top-ranked
South Africas Rovos Rail and The Blue Train have made it on to Japan Rail Passs most popular luxury trains list. Japan Rail Pass analyses a combination of variables, including global search volumes, Instagram hashtags and reviews on TripAdvisor, reports Cape Town Etc. Rovos Rai
FlySafair adds CPT-WDH flights
South African low-cost airline, FlySafair, has announced another regional route to its line-up Cape Town to Windhoek. Its the airline's first regional route out of the Mother City, and the twice-weekly flights commence on October 22. They will run on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Sandton awaits business travel boom
Hoteliers expect that a strong conferencing pipeline for Sandton, including the securing of next years G20 Summit, will provide a much-needed boost to flagging average room rates (ARR) in the precinct. According to January to May data from Smith Travel Research, five-star hotels in Afri
HAL now offers segments of world cruises
Holland America Line is inviting South Africans to sample its 2025 Grand World Voyage by making it possible to book segments of the world cruise. These segments were previously only open to certain markets and difficult for South Africans to book, according to Tracey Krog of Deve
Could Cape Town host Olympics?
No African city has ever hosted an Olympic Games. And while some believe that Cape Town has what it takes to host, the City itself has refused to confirm any Olympic aspirations. Cape Town last bid to host the 2004 games, ultimately losing out to Athens. Following the Paris Olympics, Eg
Seabourn releases edu-tainment for Africa cruises
Seabourn has released its new collection of entertainment options for the 90-day Grand Africa Voyage, with segments available for booking departing from Cape Town. The Seabourn Sojourn will sail from Cape Town to the Seychelles from December 27, 2024 to January 13, 2025, on Seabourns Mo
Airlink gets the green light for CPT-Gaborone flights
Independent regional airline, Airlink, is proceeding with its plans to launch direct Cape Town-Gaborone flights from April 1, 2025. This follows confirmation by the Botswana and South African regulatory authorities that all the necessary approvals are in place to allow Airlink to serve
Air France-KLM offers free eSIM cards
Air France-KLM has partnered with cellular mobile network Next OneSIM to offer South African travellers connectivity in over 50 destinations in Europe and the Americas. Passengers departing from Johannesburg and Cape Town are now provided with free, loaded eSIMS and physical SIM cards.
SA's fourth Hyatt set to open in October
Park Hyatt Johannesburg is preparing for its grand opening in October. In collaboration with the owning company, Millat Group, the 31-key hotel is ready to mark a significant milestone in South Africa's hospitality landscape. Located in the heart of the trendy and vibrant suburb of Rose
Botswana Air Access project takes flight
Botswana has marked a significant step forward in stimulating air access to the region, with the launch of an official air access strategy, incorporating key members of the tourism, aviation and trade industries. Hoping to build off similar successful initiatives such as Cape Town Air A
CPT honours man's best friend
Cape Town has opened South Africas first Museum of Dogs. Its a celebration of dogs and theirroles in our society as companions, comforters and friends. Founder of the museum, Karel van der Vyver , said growing up in a household where there were always dogs had inspired h
Virgin extends CPT service
Virgin Atlantic will extend its seasonal service between London and Cape Town this season by an extra month, due to popular demand. Virgins seasonal flights usually run from October to March. This season, these flights will continue until April 30, 2025. The extension has been
Delta to bring WiFi on to SA routes
Delta Air Lines WiFi roll-out is taking off internationally and will be available on South African routes from mid-2025. And it will be free of charge! As we continue to roll out fast, free WiFi and the in-flight experiences it powers, were able to serve customers travelling both domest
Air Botswana's start dates on new routes
Air Botswana has revealed the starting dates for its new routes, reinstated flights and increased frequencies in Southern Africa. The carrier is introducing brand new routes including Gaborone Durban, Maun Cape Town, Kasane Mpumalanga, and Kasane Cape Town. The airl
Cape Town: Tourism balancing act needed
The astounding statistics surrounding the number of Airbnb-listed properties in Cape Town have raised discussions about the benefit of short-term rentals, the need for regulations, and the importance of balancing tourism with community benefits. According to Inside Airbnb , Cape Town ha
Airlink halts sales CPT-GBE
Airlink has withdrawn sales for its direct Cape Town-Gaborone flights after the Botswana Civil Aviation Authority (CAAB) informed the airline that it had not been granted authorisation to operate the route. The CAAB has also instructed Airlink to remove all advertisements of the new ser
Obituary: Industry loses travel agent icon
Many in the industry were deeply saddened to hear of the death of Megan Fineberg , Owner of Constantiaberg Travel. After a long battle with an autoimmune disease, Fineberg passed away on Tuesday, August 6, shortly before her 60th birthday. Fineberg successfully ran several travel
Airlink to connect Cape Town with Gaborone
Airlink is expanding its network to include direct Cape Town-Gaborone flights from April 1, 2025. Flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays between Cape Town International Airport (CPT) and Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE) on the following schedule:
SA's big tourism assets? Warm hospitality, wide open spaces!
South Africas tourism industry needs to capitalise on the countrys diverse, open spaces and warm, friendly people. This was an overarching theme of the second annual Hospitality Industry Think Tank, held in Johannesburg last month, spearheaded by Dream Hotels Resorts and supported by leading ind
Plett Airport shut down
Plettenberg Bay Airport has been shut down indefinitely after the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) issued a notice to Bitou Municipality on July 31 suspending its airport licence with immediate effect. As a result of the notice, the airport is effectively closed.
TK starts Turin route
Turkish Airlines has started operating daily flights between Istanbul (IST) and Turin (TRN). Turin is the airlines ninth destination in Italy and 349 th in the world. The flight schedule is as follows: The airline operates daily flights between Istanbul and
Aviation disruption threatens SA economy
A rash of incidents over the past few weeks, indicating problems in provision and/or maintenance of the infrastructure provided by the South African government for the aviation industry, have raised eyebrows. Aaron Munetsi , CEO of the Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AAS
Cape Town property opens spa
Tintswalo Boulders, overlooking Boulders Beach in Simons Town, Cape Town has opened a spa on site to offer a range of treatments to resident guests. Boulders Spa features a heated indoor plunge pool, with a relaxation area that may also be booked for couples treatments. Face an
KQ - new aircraft for SA flights
Kenya Airways flights from Nairobi to Johannesburg and Cape Town are to be upgraded with a new aircraft. The airline announced several changes to its route network for the upcoming weeks, part of which is using a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner instead of the Boeing 737-800 that is currently us