By Forimmediaterelease.net with Ogova Ondego
Published May 30, 2013
Online voting to determine companies and organisations who excel in travel, tourism, and hospitality in the Africa region has opened.The Gala Presentation Ceremony will be hosted by the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) in Kenya.
Companies from 31 countries are competing for the prestigious top accolades, including Leading Airline, Leading Tourist Board, œLeading Destination, Leading Boutique Hotel Brand, Leading Golf Resort, Leading Business Hotel, Leading Safari Company and Leading Safari Lodge.
“World Travel Awards is coming to Kenya at the right time after a successful and peaceful general election under a new constitution. This has further raised the country’s profile as a safe destination,” says KTB Managing Director Muriithi Ndegwa. “That World Travel Awards has chosen Kenya for the African region ceremony as part of the world grand tour, is an endorsement of the country as a preferred tourism destination in the world.”
WTA’s 2013 Grand Tour will include regional legs in the Maldives, Dubai (UAE), Antalya (Turkey), Lima (Peru), Antigua, and Singapore throughout the year. The winners of these regional heats will progress to the Grand Final, which will take place at the end of 2013.
RELATED: International Tourism Receipts Grew by 4% in 2012
The ceremonies are widely regarded as the best networking opportunities in the travel industry, attended by government and industry leaders, luminaries, and international media.
The 2013 Africa nominees have been published at worldtravelawards.com/nominees and votes can be cast at worldtravelawards.com/vote.
Meanwhile, United Nation’s World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) is inviting submissions for the 2013 Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism, which acknowledge the achievements of exceptional leadership in the sector. The nominations should be submitted before October 1, 2013.
Since the inception of the UNWTO Awards in 2003, the World Tourism Organization has recognized the contribution of scholars and institutions – public, private, or NGOs – to innovative tourism initiatives, including tourism communications, groundbreaking online management tools, or poverty alleviation projects through tourism.
RELATED: World Routes Comes to Africa for First Time in 2015
“The contribution of the awardees to UNWTO’s mission to promote tourism as a vehicle for sustainable development and international understanding is extremely valuable,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai. “In recognizing exceptional tourism leaders, scholars, institutions, and companies, we aim at inspiring the global tourism family to keep pursuing competitive and sustainable tourism development through knowledge and innovation,” he added.
The Awards ceremony will take place on January 22, 2014 during the Madrid International Tourism Trade Fair FITUR and will be followed by the UNWTO Knowledge Network Symposium (January 23, 2014), which will stage the best practices awarded.
