Ahead of the 2020 edition of the African Travel Times Magazine Awards ceremony, the organiser has released the names of winners for the prestigious travel and tourism industry event.
According to Lucky Onoriode George, Publisher/Editor of the publication, the annual award, which was initiated seven years ago, is to recognise excellence in the travel and the tourism sector in Nigeria, West Africa, and beyond.
George revealed that this year’s award ceremony is taking a new dimension because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has altered the way it has organised the event in the last three years.
He said 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.
George noted that though there were limited activities since March 2020 because most countries were on lockdown, some organisations and individual winners have emerged from various industries including hospitality, airlines, national/states, and tourism agencies.
In the Airline Categories are: [International]; Ethiopian Airlines, which emerged best for Africa; Africa World Airlines [AWA], Best Connectivity Airline [West Africa] and Air Peace, Most Reliable Airline [Nigeria].
In the Hospitality Category: Wavecrest College won Best Hospitality Training Institution [West Africa]; Envoy Abuja, Best Boutique Hotel [Nigeria].
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].
On the individual category winners 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, Hospitality Personality of The Year [West Africa]; Mr. Hilerus Edet, Chief Executive Officer, Travel Essentials Limited, Most Enterprising Tourism Person 2020 [Nigeria]; and Bethia Idoko, Best Female Lone Traveller [Nigeria].
Meanwhile, there would be a Zoom ceremony with winners and industry practitioners on Thursday 10th of December 2020 at 2 pm Nigerian times.