Weekly Travel News Recap, 10 May: Free public Wi-Fi at Victoria Falls, BMW 7 Series named Car of the Year, and more

Catch up on all the latest travel news with Drive South Africa.

Each week, our team scours the web for the most interesting, trending, and unusual travel news, conservation news, and motoring news stories. Here are this week’s biggest scoops.

Travel News

• 20 airlines under investigation for alleged greenwashing. The European Commission’s Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC) has given 20 airlines, including Air France, KLM, and Lufthansa, 30 days to correct “misleading claims” around sustainability.

• Sun City’s Valley of Waves to close for annual maintenance. Sun City says its popular water park will remain closed for maintenance from 13 May to 21 June 2024, aiming to refresh the attraction ahead of the June school holidays.

• Zambia launches free public Wi-Fi at Victoria Falls. Visitors to the Livingstone side of the Victoria Falls can now access free public Wi-Fi while visiting the natural attraction. The Zambian Ministry of Tourism aims to digitise its tourism sector by Q2 2024.

• Namibia to crack down on “disgusting” tourist behaviour. The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism has condemned three male tourists for posing naked on the Big Daddy dune in the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The Federation of Namibian Tourism Association called the act “disgusting” and claims tourists think “they can do whatever they want”.

• AI trip planning tools are making travel easier. Discover Africa says that new AI tools from Google Maps, TripAdvisor, Kayak, and its own HerdTracker wildebeest migration tracking tool are making it easier than ever for travellers to plan their vacations.

• Africa’s Travel Indaba scheduled for 13 to 16 May in Durban, South Africa. South African Tourism’s iconic African leisure trade show will take place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre and Durban Exhibition Centre, showcasing southern African tourism products and services for the international travel trade.

Conservation News

• Bushbabies could be more vulnerable to climate change than larger species. Researchers at CU Boulder in the US say that small animals like the thick-tailed greater galago and southern lesser galago, fondly known as bushbabies in South Africa, could struggle to adapt as climate change causes temperature increases in areas like the Waterberg in Limpopo.

• Conservationists launch West African Vulture Conservation Action Plan (WAVCAP). The project aims to safeguard vulnerable vulture species in the region, including the hooded vulture, as mass poisoning and hunting for bushmeat continue to threaten the long-term survival of these keystone species.

Automotive News

• BMW 7 Series named 2024 South African Car of the Year (COTY). BMW now holds the record for most wins in the competition’s history, with the 7 Series marking the seventh time it has won the main prize. Keep an eye on our blog for all the other winners from COTY 2024.

• BYD launches South Africa’s cheapest electric vehicle. The Chinese marque, known globally as Tesla’s biggest rival, is offering the Dolphin EV from just R539,900, making it the cheapest fully-electric vehicle on the South African market. The five-seater hatchback has a maximum range of 340 km.

• Jaecoo to launch Jimny competitor in South Africa. The Chinese manufacturer will introduce the Jaecoo J6 to the local market, positioning it as an electric alternative to the extremely popular Suzuki Jimny. It features dual electric motors and four-wheel drive.

Missed out on this week’s Drive South Africa blogs? Catch up on them here.

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Travel News Image Credits: Unsplash, iStock, BMW South Africa

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