Tag Archives: Tourism

Member of African Travel and Tourism Association

Since July, exactly 3 years after the opening in July 2006, Onsea House in Arusha has been proposed and accepted to be member and shareholder in ATTA, Europe’s largest trade association linking tourism in Africa with the travel trade, the UK Foreign Office and the media.

ATTA creates the platform for buyers across Europe to meet suppliers of African tourism product at networking events, trade shows and through its links with the media. ATTA distributes news on tourism matters throughout Africa to its wide membership and acts as an information hub between the news media and the tourist industry in times of crisis.

Onsea House has its own member page in the ATTA online member directory. Contact info@onseahouse.com and/or visit www.onseahouse.com for any further information.

Tourism in Kenya and Tanzania at risk

The Daily Nation, one of Kenya’s quality newspapers, reports today about the shrinkage of the world famous annual wildebeest migration:

Reduction of water in River Mara, whose origin is in the Mau Forest, and which traverses the expansive Maasai Mara game reserve right into Serengeti in Tanzania, is causing the shrinkage of the world famous annual wildebeest migration, which may stop altogether.

According to the American Museum of Natural History, the great migration, a major boost to the tourism sector, is one of the world’s large-scale-terrestrial migrations that have been severely reduced and could eventually stop.

A study, Endangered Species Research, published last month, says the lives of the more than one million animals are threatened.

But even more frightening is that the Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania could vanish in less than 40 years.

Experts now warn that the catastrophic Maasai Emutai (meaning to wipe out), which occurred between 1897 and 1898, in which there were massive deaths of wildlife, livestock and people in the area could be in the making.

Many years later, the African Journal of Ecology wrote of the experience quoting an Australian explorer who had travelled in the area.

“There were women wasted to skeletons from whose eyes the madness of starvation glared … warriors scarcely able to crawl on all fours, and apathetic, languishing elders. Swarms of vultures followed them from high, awaiting their certain victims,” wrote Dr Oscar Baumann.

“The way we handle, for example the issue of the Mau Complex will greatly influence whether people, animals and plants far away off will be able to access food and water,” Dr Julius Kipng’etich, the Kenya Wildlife Service director, told a recent meeting in Nairobi organised by the African Conservation Centre.

Climate change

The meeting was receiving preliminary research finding on how plants, animals and pastoralists on the Kenya/Tanzania border are reacting to climate change and effects of environmental degradation.

The studies, carried out by the universities of California at San Diego and York, Missouri Botanical Gardens and the African Conservation Centre identified lack of water as the biggest threat to human and animal existence in the area.

The study area covers about 60,000 square kilometres, hosting 14 wildlife parks and a major tourism circuit. River Mara is the main lifeline for the Kenyan and Tanzanian Maasai who live in these plains.

Talk of the town at the 10th Karibu Fair

The Wine & Food tasting organized by Onsea House in collaboration with UZT was the talk of the town at the 10th Karibu Fair, East-Africa’s most important Travel Show, which took place from June 5-7 2009 in Arusha.

A limited group of 100 personally invited visitors and standholders, received an invitation to taste some interesting Wine & Food pairings presented by Onsea House chef Axel Janssens. 17 wines ranging from light white to full bodied red were tasted with 6 matching bites in 6 different sessions spread over 2 days.

At the times the tastings took place, the UZT tent was without any doubt thé most popular stand on the Show. Among the participating tasters were the “crème de la crème” of safari & beach property operators in Tanzania including Asilia, Fundu Lagoon, Kempinski, Kirurumu, Lemala Luxury Camps, Nomad, Saadani, Singita Grumeti Reserves, the ATTA African Travel and Tourism Association director and most of the Onsea House preferred operators.

On Sunday evening, the managing directors & owners of several top luxury Tanzania & Zanzibar beach properties picked Onsea House as dinner venue. 

Jan Haasiosalo, the Finnish managing director of the new Zanzibar Retreat Hotel, Bobby McKenna, the managing director of the brandnew stunning Kilindi, a 15 pavillion hotel in Northern Zanzibar, Fundu Lagoon designer & director Ellis Flyte, their general manager Matt Semark, Saadani Safari Lodge managing director Costa Coucoulis and their marketing manager Mark Evans came all for dinner at Onsea House.

The brandnew Kempinski Tanzania managing director and his sales director did not have space but have been served some bites and talked about their Discovering Tanzania project which helps to promote Tanzania in general and their properties specifically.

Contact info@onseahouse.com for further information on a stay at Onsea House and recommendations for accommodation during your safari and/or beach holidays in Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Taste us at East Africa’s largest tourism Fair on June 5-7, 2009

Tanzania’s Karibu Travel and Tourism Fair, the largest and most ambitious travel industry event in East Africa, will celebrate its 10th Anniversary, June 5-7, 2009. The Karibu Fair, held just outside of Arusha, Tanzania’s safari capital, attracts travel industry partners from around the world. The annual event is organized by the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO), Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT).

Part of the uniqueness and excitement of The Karibu Travel and Tourism Fair is that it is an outdoor event that offers a real safari experience. Over 250 exhibitors and thousands of regional and international visitors are expected to attend the 2009 Fair.

The fair is ranked as the second most important African travel and tourism event after the Indaba in South Africa and it is expected to attract exhibitors from across the Great Lakes Region. According to the organisers of the KTTF, exhibitors from Tanzania, Zanzibar, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, the DRC, South Africa, China and Belgium have already confirmed participation.

Wine distributor Upper Zonal Trading teams up with Onsea House at the 2009 Karibu Fair and organize together a Wine & Food tasting at their stand N1. New wines in the Hill & Dale, Table Mountain, Backsberg and Zonin assortment will be paired with food prepared by Onsea House chef Axel Janssens, while you can learn more about the renewed Onsea House hotel accommodation & restaurant activities.

Contact info@onseahouse.com if you want to receive an invitation for the Wine & Food tasting sessions on June 5 or June 6, taking place 3 times a day at 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00.

Karibu Travel & Tourism Fair opens during Sullivan Summit in Arusha

The Karibu Fair opens his doors in Arusha on 5th June, while seven Heads of State from various African countries will join about 1,500 delegates in Arusha at the ongoing 8th Leon Sullivan Summit.

Because of the same timing as the Sullivan Summit, the Karibu Travel & Tourism trade fair - which is held annually in Arusha - expects this year an extra boost.

The accommodation at Onsea House in Arusha has been fully booked during these 2 events. The special culinary dinners on Thursday 5th and Friday 6th June were fully booked short after announcing.

Plans have therefore been changed slightly and instead of catering a reception at Karibu Fair, the Onsea House restaurant will host an extra culinary dinner on Saturday 7th of June.

Because of our very small operation, Onsea House will not participate to the Karibu Fair. Contact info@onseahouse.com if you want to meet or visit Onsea House Arusha during the upcomming days or visit our preferred partners at the Karibu Fair to learn about us: Asilia Lodges & Camps (stand number NW4), CCAfrica or Nomad Tanzania.