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The Thebe Exhibitions and Projects Group and Thebe Conferences and Events have merged.

Thebe Exhibitions and Projects Group Managing Director Carol Weaving says this step brings together two organisations that serve a very dynamic target market.

“The Thebe Exhibitions and Projects Group is one of the region’s top exhibition and project organisers.  Our portfolio includes well-known titles such as Decorex, Gardenex and the World Holiday and Travel Fair.  We also manage Meetings Africa on behalf of South African Tourism, and the Coca-Cola dome – one of South Africa’s most versatile concert and exhibition venues – on behalf of the Sasol Pension Fund. (more…)

Ross Kennedy, the Chief Executive of Zimbabwe based tourism group, Africa Albida Tourism, has been appointed to the Board of Advancing Tourism To Africa (ATTA) for 2010.

The recognition which such an appointment brings means “the world” to the born and educated Zimbabwean. “At last we can shout in our corner and be heard”, says Ross who believes his new position on the board will not only be key for raising awareness and concerns on behalf of Southern Africa, but even more so for Zimbabwe. (more…)

Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Tourism, welcomed one of the largest tourism industry delegations to the country and expressed his confidence that the delegation would be impressed by South Africa’s depth of offering as a long term investment market.

“Germany is one of our most important source markets in terms of foreign arrivals and we have always cultivated a special relationship with the German travel trade. Germany is the world’s fourth largest source of long haul tourists and South Africa’s third largest source of foreign visitors. Over 162 000 German tourists visited South Africa between January and October 2009 alone. (more…)

With all the hype about the hundreds of thousands of foreign soccer fans who are expected to stream into South Africa for the FIFA World Cup in June and July – what are South African holidaymakers going to do this winter? Especially since many of the country’s hotels and lodges are expecting to be fully booked, prices are skyrocketing in many destinations, and local schools will be enjoying a six-week-long mid-year break?

“They should come and visit us,” said Mossel Bay Tourism’s Marcia Holm. “Mossel Bay will definitely be open for South Africans during the World Cup. (more…)

Comair Limited, operator of British Airways in Southern Africa and kulula.com announced it will be expanding its African route network and will soon commence with scheduled flights from Johannesburg to Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania and to Walvis Bay in Namibia.

The airline was granted the rights to the two new African routes by the South African Air Licensing Council, which forms part of the Department of Transport and grants licenses to airlines and controls domestic and regional air services. The additional routes will add to Comair’s existing regional African network from Johannesburg to Harare, Livingstone in Zambia, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Windhoek in Namibia and Mauritius.    (more…)

Mossel Bay’s newest hotel – The Point Village Hotel – has opened for business in the historic heart of the Southern Cape’s quaint harbour town.

“The Point Village has been a favourite family holiday destination for generations, and this hotel aims to continue that tradition,” said the owner and developer of the property, Albert Wiffen.

“The atmosphere is ‘chic yesterday blended with modern today,’ and we’ve gone for a philosophy of ‘never judge a room by its price’,” he said. (more…)

Ian and Lise Manley have won the public relations accounts for the annual Riebeek Valley Olive Festival as well as Abalone House, a new five-star boutique guest house in Paternoster on the Cape West Coast.

The Manley’s will represent the Riebeek Valley Olive Festival for both 2010 and 2011. Now in its 10th year, the 2010 Riebeek Valley Olive Festival will be held from 30 April to 2 May. It is undisputedly the largest festival in South Africa devoted to the hallowed olive but is also an opportunity to sample wines, especially the Shiraz varietal from the many established estates as well as local farm produce found in the Riebeek Valley. (more…)

City Lodge Fourways, the 45th hotel in the City Lodge Hotels group, has opened 111 of its 211 rooms and will have all of its rooms operational by March 4.

Situated opposite the Monte Casino entertainment complex in Fourways, Northern Johannesburg, the hotel has already attracted a regular flow of business and leisure guests since opening its first rooms in mid December. (more…)

Customer Overview
From an original portfolio of four hotels in 1984, Protea Hotels has expanded rapidly and is today the largest hotel group in terms of numbers of hotels in Africa, with over 100 properties spread throughout the continent.

The Group comprises a full and diverse spectrum of outstanding hotels and resorts ranging from small country hotels in the Eastern and Northern Cape, sea and lakeside resorts along the Garden Route, Durban and Cape coasts, to mountain retreats in the Free State, the prestigious portfolio of Premier Protea Hotels and Safari Lodges and bustling city centre hotels in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

With its 230 rooms, and situated on the green belt of Johannesburg, just a few minutes away from the major attractions of the city, the four star Protea Hotel Wanderers is one of the top performing properties of the Group. (more…)

HotelsCombined.com — the world’s leading hotel search engine and price aggregator — proudly announces Hichame Assi as the new Head of Strategy – Online Marketing. In this role, Hichame will lead a number of product development and online marketing initiatives.

“With experience in both information technology and eCommerce strategy, Hichame is a dynamic addition to the HotelsCombined.com team,” said Michael Doubinski, General Manager HotelsCombined.com. “Through further development of strategic online platforms and subsequent marketing, HotelsCombined.com will no doubt continue to shine as the worldwide hotel meta-search engine leader, offering the very best product for our users and our partners,” added Doubinski. (more…)