African Travel Times Magazine has released the list of its 2018 Awards Nominees with this year’s ceremony holding at Accra City Hotel, Accra, Ghana on Thursday 13th of December 2018.
Making this known in a release recently in Lagos, Lucky George, Publisher/Editor of the West Africa’s only monthly travel and tourism magazine, said the annual awards, which was initiated in 2014 is to recognise ‘Excellence’ in the travel and tourism sector in Nigeria, West Africa and beyond.
Apart from individuals, winners also emerged from various industries including, hospitality, airlines, national/states tourism agencies, tourism education institutions, and tourism ministers.
In the Airline categories are: British Airways, Most Trusted Airline [International]; Ethiopian Airlines, Most Reliable Airline [Africa]; ASKY Airlines, Most Reliable Carrier [West Africa]; Kenya Airways, ‘Most Supportive National Carrier’ for effective promotion of the Kenyan Tourism brand alongside South African Airways respectively; Air Namibia, for effective promotion of Brand Namibia in Nigeria, Sen. Sirika Hadi, Minister of State for Aviation for his efforts at Rescuing the Sector in Nigeria, Arik Air, Most Recognisable Airline Brand [Nigeria] and Air Peace, Most Formidable Airline [West Africa].
In the Hospitality Category, West Africa winners are; Eko Hotel & Suites, Number One Conference Venue [West Africa]; Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Most Corporate Hotel [West Africa]; Royal Senchi Hotel & Resort, Number One Resort [West Africa]; Wavecrest College of Hospitality [WCH]; the premier Monotechnic in Nigeria offering education and training in the field of hospitality for women since 1972 [West Africa] and Tang Palace Hotel, Best Management & Dining Experience Hotel Of The Year [West Africa].
Also, in the governments/agencies category/training, winners are Bayelsa State Government for Establishing, International Institute of Tourism & Hospitality [IITH]; Akwa Ibom State, Top Sport Tourism Destination [West Africa]; Rivers State, Most Supportive Government in Sustaining Tourism Facilities [Nigeria]; Ghana Tourism Authority, Most Active Tourism Agency West Africa, Benin Republic & Togo, Joint Winners of Authentic African Traditional Culture & Voodoo Capitals [Worldwide]; as well as South African Tourism, ‘Most Effective National Marketing Tourism Agency’ [Africa].
In the Individual Category, winners are; Abiodun Odusanwo, National President, Institute for Tourism Professionals, for Professionalizing the Tourism Sector in Nigeria; Hon. Catherine Afeku, Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture, ‘Most Active’ Tourism Minister Award [West Africa]; Joseph Rennie, General Manager, Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt and Nigeria; Herbert Acquaye, former President, Ghana Hotels Associations [GHA], Ikechi Uko, Outstanding Tourism Personality Of The Year [West Africa] and Otunba Segun Runsewe, Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture [NCAC] as Most Distinguished Tourism Personality Award [Nigeria].
Winners also emerged in the Ghana category, they are, Bassem Toura, General Manager, Holiday Inn Accra Airport; 3-Star Hotel General Manager Of The Year, Roman Krabel, General manager, Accra City Hotel; 4-Star Hotel General Manager & General Manager Of The Year; and Michael Rathgeb, General Manager, Movenpick Ambassador Hotel; 5-Star Hotel General Manager Of The Year.
Completing the list are; Golden Tulip Accra, Brand of the Year; Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, Conference Hotel of the Year and Oak Plaza Hotel as the winner of Bread & Breakfast Hotel Of The Year, and African Regent Hotel as the winner of Airport Hotel Of The Year.
While saying that a respected award in the industry was long overdue, especially in an industry that is service based, George noted that, “Asking the travelling public that lack the technicality and experience of how the travel and tourism industry works to select the best hotel, restaurant and even the best airline in an operating environment annually, is wrong”.
He posited that, “It is the process that differentiates his publication’s awards from others, as awardees are selected by professionals in the various sub-sectors”.
It is worth knowing that African Travel Times hit newsstands in 2011, and has since grown to become the most widely read and authoritative travel and tourism publication in West Africa, with an online presence on www.africantraveltimes.com.
African Travel Times, apart from being a core travel and tourism industry magazine, the coverage also includes ‘Insider’, a destination piece written from a local or native point of view [can also be written ‘as told to], as well as ‘fascinating people’, an article profiling persons of interest in the industry in any part of Nigeria and Africa.
Comments are closed.