African Travel Times magazine has concluded plans to present awards to its 2020 edition winners scheduled to hold on December 10 by 2.00 pm.
The event, which would be a virtual awards ceremony, has as theme “Why the Absence of Public Sector Leadership in the Travel and Tourism Industry Is a Major Setback”, with Nseobong Okon-Ekong, Group Politics Editor, Thisday Newspapers as the guest speaker.
To join the virtual awards ceremony, interested participants are to hook up using the meeting ID: 85948112318, Passcode: 962158.
In a press release recently, Lucky Onoriode George, Publisher/Editor of the publication said the annual award was initiated to recognise excellence in the travel and the tourism sector in Nigeria, West Africa, and beyond.
George however, said that this year’s award ceremony is taking a new dimension because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has altered the way the award was organised in the last editions.
He revealed that “this year’s awards ceremony would go virtual in view of the difficulties that the health, as well as safety implications of gathering, has placed on all of us”.
While noting that though there were limited activities since March 2020 because most countries were on lockdown, George said some organisations and individual winners have emerged from various industries including hospitality, airlines, national/states, and tourism agencies.
Awardees in the individual category are Chief Sam Alabi, Chairman, Board of Trustee, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria [FTAN]; Alhaji Rabo Saleh, President, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria [FTAN]; Bria Efa, Nigeria Hotel General Manager 2020; Leslie Quarmyne, Executive Chef, Four Points by Sheraton, as the Hospitality Personality of The Year [West Africa]; Mr. Hilerus Edet, Chief Executive Officer, Travel Essentials Limited, as the Most Enterprising Tourism Person 2020 [Nigeria]; and Bethia Idoko, Best Female Lone Traveller [Nigeria].
Others include Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture; RT. Hon. Orman Esin, Akwa-Ibom State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture; Otunba Segun Runsewe, D-G, National Council for Arts and Culture [NCAC]; Akwasi Agyeman, CEO, Ghana Tourism Authority [GTA] and Ini Akpabio, Chairman, Akwa-Ibom State Hotels and Tourism Board.
The airline category [International] has Ethiopian Airlines, which emerged best for Africa; Africa World Airlines [AWA], Best Connectivity Airline [West Africa] and Air Peace, Most Reliable Airline [Nigeria].
Also, in the governments/agencies category, Akwa Ibom State won Best Tourism Destination [Nigeria]; Rivers State, Most Supportive Government in Sustaining Tourism Facilities [Nigeria]; Ghana Tourism Authority, Most Active Tourism Agency, [West Africa]; Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Tourism Commissioner of the Year [Nigeria], as well as National Council for Arts and Culture [NCAC] Most Active National Arts and Culture Agency [West Africa] for the third year running and Akwa Ibom State Hotels and Tourism Board, Tourism Board of the Year [Nigeria].
Winners were selected from individuals, various industries including, hospitality, airlines, national/states, and tourism agencies.
While in the Hospitality Category, Wavecrest College won Best Hospitality Training Institution [West Africa] and Envoy Abuja, Best Boutique Hotel [Nigeria].
African Travel Times magazine in Nigeria and West Africa’s only monthly travel and tourism magazine. It initiated the awards in 2014 to annually recognise ‘Excellence’ in the travel and tourism sector in the region and beyond.