Culture

Russia/Ukraine war: Tourism flow to Egypt expected to decline by 35%

Published

2 years ago

March 9, 2022

Egypt’s tourism sector is facing fallout due to the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Since Russia launched a full-scale military invasion into Ukraine on February 24, Egypt’s tourism sector – a major income generator source – has been negatively impacted.

According to Vice Chairman of the Tourism Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt, Moataz Sedky said Egyptian tourist destinations will likely be negatively impacted with tourism flow predicted to decline 35 percent.

The consequent Western sanctions imposed by European countries on Russia will lead to further deterioration of the Russian currency, Egypt Independent reports.

Sanctions also banned Russian transfers on the Swift system, thereby impacting financial transfers made by Russian tourists in Egypt.

Price hikes in the two countries due to the war will cause Russian and Ukrainian citizens to refrain from traveling abroad, he explained.

However he noted that as Egypt is a receiving market for tourism, it has the ability to adapt to events.

“If we go back a little, we will find that the Eastern European market, especially Russia, tourist flow was suspended for a period of six years to Egypt due to the accident of the Russian plane that crashed in Sinai on October 31, 2015,” said Sedky.

Egypt had succeeded back then in focusing on alternative and atypical markets, and the flow of tourism rose, approaching 13 million tourists, he explained.

The total number of tourism companies operating in the Russian and Ukrainian market does not exceed three or four companies, and only one or two chains of hotels, while the rest have other markets in which they operate – so the damage caused will only be to a limited number of Egyptian hotels, he added.

The decisions taken by the Hotel Establishments Chamber to host stranded tourists in Egypt because of war, whether they are from Ukraine or Russia, will positively impact Egypt’s reputation abroad, especially since the decision has been widely reported across western social media websites.

Culture

Koffi Olomide’s Kenyan show suffers setback over 2016 debt

Published

2 days ago

December 9, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

A highly anticipated concert that was to feature Congolese Lingala maestro Le Grand Mopao, Koffi Olomide, in Nairobi, Kenya on Saturday has been thrown into disarray after Kenyan show promoters, Jules Nsana and Noah Auma Muga of Nsana Production, demanded to be paid compensation for a 2016 show that ended in chaos and refund of debt of $65,000 they had allegedly incurred.

In the letter of demand through their lawyer, Thiong’o Gachaga of Githumbi & Achoki Advocates firm, Nsana Production say they are seeking a refund of $50,032 and an additional Sh1,410,000, along with interest at the current rate from the date of the performance to full payment, citing a breach of contract by the 67-year-old rumba star for a March 2016 concert.

The letter stated that the 2016 show ended in chaos when Olomide was deported from Kenya for allegedly assaulting one of his female dancers after footage of the assault at Nairobi’s international airport was posted online, sparking outrage on social media.

But Olomide has assured his fans that the peace concert will go on despite threats from the show promoters.

Olomide, who spoke through his lawyers, termed the debt allegations as frivolous and without merit.

Culture

Ghanaian actor Don Little arrested for knocking down motorcyclist

Published

3 days ago

December 8, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Dimunitive Ghanaian actor, Stephen Atangah, popularly known as Don Little, was reportedly arrested by the police in Accra on Friday after he allegedly knocked down a motorcyclist.

Media reports in the West African country said the actor knocked down the rider with his car while driving in the Kasoa Area A, with videos showing him protesting against his incarceration while in police custody.

According to a report by an online platform, the actor was transporting a friend to the hospital when the incident happened.

“According to Don Little his friend called him that one of their friends wanted to take his life so he should intervene,” the platform said.

“On the way to the hospital, he met some motor riders so he blew the horn for them to give him way but they refused.

“In a bid to manoeuvre, he knocked down one of the motor riders with his mirror.

“Unfortunately, there was an officer at the scene. The officer claimed that Don Little slapped him twice but the actor denied the claims. He was taken to the Kasoa police station”, it added.

The video also showed Don Little behind bars at the police station and interacting with some of the officers.

“He was lamenting why he had been arrested and the person he was involved in an accident had been left to go home,” the online platform narrated further.

“Some of the police officers were also heard wondering why a person with the stature of Don Little would be allowed to drive in Ghana.”