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The Africa Travel and Nature Library

Industry Leaders
Corporate Council,
AfricaWorld Travel Market, UKBenefits of Associations List
American Tourism Society
Federation of Small Business

Abidjan
Abuja
Addis Ababa
Agadir
Cairo
Calabar
Casablanca
Conakry
Cape Town
Dar es Salaam
Douala
Essaouira
Fès
Kampala
Luanda
Lusaka
Marrakech
Meknès
Mombasa:
Nairobi
Rabat
Timbuktu
Yaounde
More to Come:

Send items
on your city
Who's Who?
Africans On Video
Sister Cities
Grass Roots
Famine Relief

Midroc - An Ethiopia Success Story


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Find out about the Sustainable Cities Program

Great Cities of Africa Magazine Series Born at UN World Urban Forum, Vancouver . By Jerry W. Bird.

Africa Travel Magazine's "Great Cities of Africa" series debuts soon . Each city edition will be updated annually in print. Travel, Trade, Tourism and Transport are four keys to Africa Travel Magazine's " Great Cities of Africa" series. Bonus items include radio profiles, audio tours, lectures and DVD.

African Mayors Are Ambassadors Abroad
What a memorable week. After 30 years UN Habitat returned to the seaport city of Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. as over 10,000 delegates participated in the UN World Urban Forum 3, and many were from Africa. Our editors had the pleasure of taking two groups of mayors representing different African countries on a cultural tour - our way to repay the wonderful hospitality we have enjoyed in eleven years with the Africa Travel Association as its media voice in North America and Worldwide. The twin goals of UN Habitat are "Adequate shelter for all" and "sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world. " We carried the message for Africa Tourism and its ability to reduce poverty, enhance the environment and generate long term employment. More->

Africa's Green Revolution Impacts Every City and Village.
Introduction . AATF - Agriculture . Communities in Bloom . DFID - UK . Genesis Initiative Uganda . Rockefeller Foundation . USAid . World Mayor Website


Hold your Conference in one of Africa's Historic Cities
Over 30 African cities have hosted ATA World Congresses and Symposia, representing 22 member countries. While we focus on the North American Market, African Tourism Ministers serve as President and Directors, along with members from airlines, airports, hotels, tour operations, media and education. We are familiar with Africa's emerging cities since our members have covered the continent since 1975. But we ask for your help as well. Be an Ambassador for your favorite city - send contact names, items or articles to africa@dowco.com, or fax (604) 681 6595.

Addis Ababa: Africa's Meeting Place
Why did ATA choose Addis Ababa as the venue for its 25th Anniversary Jubilee Congress and 8th Cultural and Ecotourism Symposium? To begin with it's today's political capital of Africa, home of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, (UNECA). More than 95 embassies from all over the world have their missions in Addis Ababa. This makes the capital of Ethiopia a city where one finds the highest concentration of embassies in the world after Washington DC, New York and London. Addis Ababa is easily accessible, having daily flights to and from cities in Europe. Ethiopian Airlines, Lufthansa, Alitalia, Kenya Airways, Egypt Air, Saudia and others serve Addis Ababa. Perhaps what makes Addis unique is that the national carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, serves many cities in Africa&emdash; making it the most accessible city on the continent. More->


About Kampala, Uganda
Kampala, the Capital City of Uganda, much like Rome was originally built, is spread over seven hills and takes its fabled name from Kasozi K'impala, interpreted as "the hills of the antelopes". The origin of Kampala goes back to 1891 when the Kabaka of Buganda held his court on Rubaga and Mengo Hills. Today as you stand on the hills within Kampala you are blessed with magnificent evergreen views intermingled with red tiled villas, green iron roofed bungalows and tall modern buildings surrounded by a lush green countryside and the nearby Lake Victoria. While Kampala is often referred to as the greenest city in Africa, it is also the heart of Uganda, serving as the center of commercial life and the seat of government. It is a vibrant modern metropolis adorned with many beautiful gardens and parks which provides a colorful oasis in the midst of the urban landscape for both the citizens and visitors to admire. Hotel facilities range from the best in international standards with state-of-the-art conference facilities, to accommodations for the more budget-minded traveler. More->

Abuja Nigeria. City of the Future
"I am Abuja, federal capital of Nigeria since 1991. I am located in the heart of Africa's most populous country, and confident about my future as a world center and magnet for cultural, adventure, educational and leisure tourism in the magical lands of Nigeria beyond my borders. My broad, well maintained paved streets, attractively landscaped boulevards and modern overpasses keep the traffic flowing at a smooth pace, morning, noon and night - and with wide cinemascopic vistas in every direction, there's no feeling of being hemmed in by gridlock. Being in the Nigerian heartland, I am adjacent to the states of Kogi, Niger, Kaduna and Nassarawa. During Carnival week festivities in late November, visitors will see the culture of all 36 states on display in rhythmic, pulsating music, durbars on horseback, camels from the far Sahara, and exotic tribal dances. It's an unending kaleidoscope of colorful regalia, fun activities, parade floats, tribal masks and costumes unique to the various states. Born in 1976, I am considered a model city for all of Africa, and one of the world's handful of totally planned cities.

Calabar, Nigeria. Window on West Africa
I am Calabar, an historic seaport city and former slave trading post, strategically located on the Atlantic Coast near the Cameroon border. I am capital of Nigeria's Cross River State and considered the future superstar of West African tourism. That bright, shiny future is just around the corner according to the Governor's active timetable. In terms of economic potential, I am located near Port Harcourt, heart of Nigeria's petroleum industry, a magnet for business travelers from all corners of the world. What about my mission for the new millennium? I was selected host city for the Africa Travel Association's 10th Cultural and Ecotourism Symposium, a prestige event that attracts tourism industry executives from North America and the world. What was the key factor for this decision?

Douala and Yaounde: A Tale of Two Cities
Production is underway on our Great Cities of Africa series which will appear on our website, coming editions of Africa Travel Magazine, plus and a new Radio and TV Program. Among the first to be featured are two of my favorite cities, both of which we have visited several times in the last five years. Watch for more announcements as the launch draws closer. Just to prove that we have made our mark in promoting Cameroon, Africa in One Country, check the current Google statistics from searches consulted in August 2006. And we're sure the results will get even better. More->

Mombasa: Magical Sands, Sparkling Sea.
"Mombasa is undergoing a major face lift, from its busy Moi International Airport and harbor area to the downtown core, which has its very own visitor attractions, the most famous being historic Fort Jesus. Here's a site that's a true time capsule with a remarkable story to tell." -> -> ->More

Nairobi Marches with the Times
One of our main impressions was the remarkable changes we saw in Nairobi in 12 months. First of all, the city streets, parks and boulevards had a more spruced up look, thanks to the new landscaping and creative street lighting program that is now fully underway, and an anti litter program in progress. Flower gardens were in bloom in the traffic circles, new lamp standards were sponsored by community conscious companies and life seemed brighter in many ways. More->

Brief Profiles: Abidjan . Abuja . Addis Ababa . Accra . Agadir; Cairo . Calabar . Casablanca . Conakry . Cape Town . Dar es Salaam . Douala . Essaouira . Fès . Kampala . Luanda . Lusaka . Marrakech . Meknès - Mombasa: . Nairobi . Rabat . Timbuktu . Yaounde . More to Come:

Send items on your city . Who's Who? . Africans On Video . Sister Cities . Grass Roots . Famine Relief

Discovering Marrakech
A destination where one may enjoy the customs, culture and pleasures of laid back tourism, Marrakech is loaded with outstanding attractions, events and accommodation. Its conference facilities are a magnet for international events, trade missions and summits, such as our ATA Ecotourism Symposium at Le Palais d'Congrès. Where else are all the walls and buildings tinted in a rich pastel peach, the broad avenues and promenades lined with rows and rows of orange trees, with ripe fruit dangling from their branches like holiday ornaments? In five days of discovery, we managed to visit a wide cross section of hotel facilities, in order to give our readers an idea of the choice available for all price ranges. During a week long escorted tour, we had the good fortune of selecting a guide, who has become a good friend and ambassador for Morocco in general and Marrakech in particular. More->

Cairo, Egypt: Journey through Time
Egypt's historic capital city on the River Nile is a fascinating place where past and present meet. with evidence of 2000 years of Islamic, Christian Coptic, and Jewish culture flourishing side by side. Its Western part includes Memphis (Giza), former and site of the Pyramids, famous as one of the "Seven Great Wonders of the World." It is the largest city in the Middle East and the center of trade routes to three continents- Africa, Asia and Europe. More->

Cape Town, South Africa
I first visited Cape Town as a Travel Agent, spending a month's vacation on a 'fam' trip, 'and most recently at the 2001 ATA Congress. It's a picture perfect location to say the least. Framed by the panorama of Table Mountain (floodlit at night) and the Atlantic Ocean
n, Cape Town is southern Africa's most visited destination. Founded in 1652 by Jan van Riebeeck, it is called the "Mother City of South Africa." Here on the historic Western Cape, where two great oceans and many cultures meet, you will discover a blend of scenic beauty, combined with healthy outdoors activities and cultural charm. The Cape Peninsula offers scenic drives, each with an ocean backdrop, while the historic city is blessed with dozens of hiking trails and miles of sandy beaches. Table Bay attracts sail boarders and wind surfers from around the world. Visitors will enjoy the many public gardens and forest groves, the vineyards, wine estates and famous dock area. There are hundreds of hiking trails botanical gardens and wine estates, indigenous Cape Dutch architecture, Georgian and Victorian building styles. More->

More about Great Cities
Great Cities of Africa: Building Better Cities
Addressing the challenges of incorporating sustainability principles into the design, development, financing, construction, operation and governance of cities. For more information on the GLOBE 2008 Conference and Trade Fair, www.globe2008.ca

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Host city for the ATA 32nd World Congress in May 2007. Focus on Ethiopia's Millennium activities, attractions and tours.

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: From its early history to its position as a major port. Edition includes Zanzibar across the bay from Dar es Salaam, voted one of the world's top island vacation areas. Profiles of new luxury hotels that are making this area one of Africa's hot spots for business and tourism.

Abuja and Calabar, Nigeria:
Two cities that hosted ATA events, with hundreds of outstanding photos. This edition includes the remarkable developments in Cross River State and the cultural highlights of Abuja's Carnival.

Kampala, Uganda: The green city of seven hills, Kampala hosts the Commonwealth Heads of State.

In Progress: Editions on Nairobi and Mombassa, Kenya; Cairo, Egypt; Douala and Yaounde, Cameroon: Accra and Kumasi, Ghana; Dakar, Senegal, Cotonou, Benin; Luanda, Angola; Lusaka and Livingstone, Zambia, several cities in South

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