A Newly Launched Tool ‘Skyscanner’ Inspires Travelers To Book Travel Destinations With Ease And Confidence  

BY  Abdul Aziz Dec 1, 2023

The World Food Association said in 2022 that culinary tourism is crucial in order to boost local pride. It will help attract travelers that are sustainable. Food and drink intake plays a huge role in the tourism industry. During holidays everyone is bound to eat and research has shown that tourists are as attracted to culinary experiences as they are to the natural beauty of their destination. Travelers are also seen to be willing to pay more for local food and unique tastes. Keeping this in mind the Maru-Maru Hotel in the Stone Town has decided to involved the tourists in this hotel. The staff led by chefs will be mixing the ingredients for a special cake for this year's Christmas Holiday. Reception manager Phillip Mwakimo spoke at the event, and said, “Getting our visitors and staff from the kitchen in mixing ingredients for the Christmas cake, is an interesting exercise and sort of fun that many tourists enjoy.” According to the chefs the cake weighing 30kgs will be baked on Christmas Day after soaking some of the ingredients for over 20 days to soften them with alcohol. Mr Odd-Helge Fjeldstad, one of the enthusiastic visitor in Zanzibar said during the mixing of the cake at the rooftop of the hotel, “I am happy to witness the mixing of the cake.” Zanzibar's leading industrial sector is its tourism. It contributes to more than 60,000 jobs and over 25% of the Isles GDP. Learn More About: Record-Breaking Holiday Travel Anticipated As TSA Prepares For Busy Season! The Italian Train Group FS Will Launch A New “Night Train Like Hotel”: Rome To Dolomites Chinese And US Presidents Have Come To A Common Ground Regarding Tourism Facilitation!

BY  Abdul Aziz Dec 23, 2023

Icelandic Tourist Board reported over 1.7 million visitors in 2022. The ethereal beauty of Iceland has persistently drawn hoards of tourists to its shores. Unavoidably, these tourists make mistakes and encounter culture crushes. There are now about six things that collectively irks the people of Iceland. First, there is the joke about Iceland and Greenland. Actually we have all heard the joke. It stems from the fact that Greenland is covered in ice and Iceland is lush green. Then there is the northern lights that tourists look for during the summers. Icelanders are tired of tourists not doing their research before planning their trip. The midnight sun that occurs between May and August is also a matter of confusion among tourists. European culture, especially Iceland does not appreciate tipping in restaurants, finding it borderline offensive in certain parts. Saying no to tipping on the part of the service-providers also results in arguments. Anna Ragna, born and raised in Iceland moved to the US in 2015. She tells Business Insider, "A lot of times there would be tips on the table for the waitress and they say, 'We can't take it,' and then it'll end up turning into an argument, and that's something that happened quite often." Iceland is renowned for its pristine beauty and the natives hate when tourists littter. Ragna says, it "enrages us as a people." There is also the issue of tampering with the delicate Icelandic moss. This slow-growing green layer is able to adapt to the harshest climates but it can be very fragile when tread  upon. It grows incredibly slowly and it can take up a hundred years just to grow a simple patch." Tourists also ignore signs in different hazardous areas. For example, an Icelandic Coast Guard helicopter rescued an  "exhausted, cold and shocked" hiker who got too close to a volcanic eruption near Grindavík on December 19. Authorities warned tourists to "think four times." Davíð Geir Jónasson who is the owner of Icelandic tour company called Vik Expeditions says he has seen this happen too many times throughout his 15-year long service. He says, "In Iceland, a warning sign is put up because someone has died or multiple people have died. It's not just because something might happen." Read Also: Kenya Is Targeting 5.5M Tourist Arrivals By 2028 Juneau’s Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area Is Expecting Big Changes Christmas In Nottingham: 2023 Bin Collection Dates, Tram Timetable And More

BY  Abdul Aziz Dec 19, 2023

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) is looking to grow its tourism arrivals into the country to  5.5 million within the next 5 years as it is about to reach out to private sector players for collaborative efforts to take the country to the global stage. KTB chairperson Francis Gichaba has disclosed that the tourism sector is back on full recovery pointing out that the arrivals by the end of this financial year will be closing at slightly over 1.9 million visitors that was recorded in 2019. Gichaba has revealed, “We are very optimistic that with the support from the private sector and other key players in the industry, our performance will even surpass the 2019 arrivals to over 2 million and progressively beyond." He was delivering a speech at Bomas of Kenya during a tourism stakeholders meeting that brought under the same roof tour operators, hoteliers, government agencies and tourism associations. The session sought to validate KTB's 5-year strategic plan for 2023-2028. In the strategy, KTB is targeting to achieve 5.5 million international tourist arrivals and grow the tourism industry's contribution to the economy of Kenya to KES 1 trillion each year by June 2028. Gichaba said destination marketing has been a collaborative exercise noting that the involvement of the private sectors in the development of strategy which was one of the ways of incorporating invaluable ideas that would shape the sector's performance within the review period. Kenya Hotel Keepers Association and Caterers (KAHC) CEO Mike Macharia suggested to the private players to curate their products and travel experiences to the needs of the market. He said, “We talk of Africa as the low-hanging fruit in terms of numbers and market share in the country and therefore the product owners should package their products and experience and sell to Africa. This move would also open opportunities for Africans to invest in the hospitality sector in Kenya... We have to go where the market is, and this is what our competitors such as South Africa have beaten us on. They have invested heavily in market presence not only to build brand awareness but to sign marketing deals." Read Also: Manila Wins Big At World Travel Awards 2023, Crowned World’s Top City Destination Celebrations Have Begun At Oaga, Art Resort, Maldives: Report Burger King Is Giving Away Free Food All Month