The African hospitality industry is bubbling with excitement as we await the long anticipated 2010 FIFA World Cup. This momentous occasion is expected to generate a revenue hike for our sector and expose our value proposition to a wider international audience.

We at African Sun are thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase our portfolio to guests from around the continent as well as further afield. We have invested in staff training, hotel refurbishments and our supply chain in order to ensure that we deliver a world-class experience in the true African Sun spirit of 'How may I serve You'.

We wish all our partners a fortuitous and prosperous 2010 and look forward to the knowledge and excitement that the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup will generate for our industry.

The Victoria Falls Mountain Bike Challenge is an amazing new event operated by the organisers of the successful Victoria Falls Marathon, ZambeziMan multi event and the Kilimanjaro Marathon. Riding through some of the most scenic areas along the Zambezi River Gorge below the Victoria Falls, private game areas, rural villages and culminating in a ride along the length of the Zambezi from the Botswana border to the Victoria Falls through the Zambezi National Park. The ride comprises of a combination of single track, rural roads and a small amount of tar (near the hotels). Please note that most of these areas are not usually available to any mountain bike rider and are unique to this event.

The Victoria Falls Mountain Bike Challenge will be fully backed up, marshalled, and controlled to world standards and is a must for all mountain bike cyclists and adventurers.

The accommodation for The Victoria Falls Mountain Bike Challenge, which is included in the package, is in the 4 star Elephant Hills Resort. Supporters are also catered for and included in their package they have transfers to view the event on the route from selected sites as well as take in all the extra options available in the area. Add on a few days and enjoy helicopter flights, canoeing, rafting, elephant back safaris or, for the wild at heart, gorge swinging or bungee jumping.

The ride is open to single riders and team riders (2 people). The single riders will start behind the team riders. Prize money is only open to team riders.

Packages are available through Wild Frontiers.

Thompsons Touring and Safaris has given Zimbabwe the thumbs up and announced plans to offer an 11-day tour of the country.

The decision follows a six-day investigative round trip of the country, from Harare across the Eastern Highlands via Bulawayo, through to Victoria Falls.

Thompsons Touring and Safaris gm, Angela Shackleford, sales and marketing manager Karen O’Reilly and senior contracts co-ordinator, Michelle Lazarus, whose objective was to assess the viability of offering an overland tour in Zimbabwe, described it as a beautiful country, rich in magnificent scenery and with warm and friendly people.

The group reported back that roads were generally very good and, although they were few, roadside toilets and facilities were very acceptable and clean. The many roadblocks were not intimidating and involved routine checking of driver and vehicle licences by police officers.

Accommodation throughout was clean and an orientation tour of Harare showed well-stocked shops and malls. There were also a lot of signs of construction, a good indication of a positive move in the economy.

In a statement, Thompsons said it had a solid infrastructure in the country already, with professionally trained eloquent guides and a fleet of well-maintained vehicles.

“Our guides are totally versed in all aspects of political history, culture and geography and are looking forward to showcasing the positive changes that have already taken place here,” said Shackleford.

Thompsons will be launching its new overland programme early this year.