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Index
Francophone
 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 in 2007 . 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
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