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COASTAL AVIATION RESCHEDULES RUAHA/SERENGETI FLIGHTS BRINGING NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN TANZANIA "CLOSER" Coastal Travels Ltd. is bringing Northern and Southern Tanzania "closer" together. As of June 2010, they are rescheduling their flights to connect Serengeti National Park in the North and Ruaha National Park in the South via Arusha. The more convenient and easier for a Tanzania Safari to include both the Northern Circuit and the Southern Circuit, ensuring a fuller, more diverse travel experience. The Serengeti National Park, named the new 7th Wonder of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is host to the largest and longest overland animal migration in the world. Since it is a world-renowned icon, and adjacent to the Ngorongoro Crater, it is the most popular and most traveled destination on the Safari circuit. Ruaha, the 2nd largest National Park in Africa, is one of Tanzania's "undis- covered jewels," receiving far fewer visitors than Parks in the North, yet providing a totally different and richer Safari. Peter Mwenguo, managing direc- tor, Tanzania Tourist Board said "Until recently, most first time visitors only had time to see Tanzania's famous Icons in the North, Kilimanjaro, Serengeti, Lake Manyara, and Tarangire. Now, as flight service improves between the North and South, the vis- itor can also discover in the same visit, the excitement and beauty of the South – Ruaha, the Selous, Mikumi, Kitulo." For Coastal's Arusha to Ruaha flight, the aircraft takes off at 1:30 pm. This gives plenty of time for guests to land in Arusha before transferring to Ruaha flying via Tarangire. The flight lands in Ruaha around 4:00 pm. As for the return flight, the flight takes off from Ruaha at 9:45 am and arrives in Arusha around midday, connecting to Serengeti at 12:30 pm. AFRICA TRAVEL ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES RENEWED PARTNERSHIP WITH WORLD RELIGIOUS TRAVEL ASSOCIATION The Africa Travel Association (ATA) and the World Religious Travel Association (WRTA) are pleased to announce a continuation of their partnership agreement in an effort to promote both organizations' endeavors in the reli- gious travel trade. "ATA is excited to work with WRTA to promote faith- based tourism to Africa," said ATA's executive director, Edward Bergman. "Religious tourism is certainly a growing niche market for travelers to the continent and the partner- ship with WRTA will help us to educate our membership on faith-based tourism opportunities." Religious travel and hospitality is present throughout the continent and is defined in four ways by WRTA: Visiting a religious destination; attending a religious gathering; travel- ing for missionary or humanitarian purposes; or leisure trav- eling with fellowship intent. "Faith-based tourism attracts 300 million travelers world- wide, who spend $18 billion annually," said Kevin J. Wright, WRTA President. "We look forward to once again working with ATA, especially as Africa has long served as a top desti- nation for people of faith. In fact, among the wide variety of travel experiences the continent offers, faith-based African safaris are quickly becoming one of the most popular new trends in religious travel today." Under the new partnership agreement, ATA and its mem- bers participated in the WRTA World Religious Travel Expo and Educational Conference 2009 held from November 14- 16, 2009 in Reno, Nevada and WRTA will participate in ATA's upcoming events in the United States and across Africa, most notably the 35th Annual Congress in The Gambia in May 2010. Black Meetings & Tourism December 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 60