By Wolfgang H Thome
Published October 19, 2013
World Travel Awards for Africa 2013, held in the evening of October 16, 2013 at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, proved to be a night to remember for the assembled who is who in tourism who came to the ceremony from nearly 30 countries across Africa.
As winners were announced, category after category, well over 50 of them, the home team started to pull ahead of the pack by piling up the trophies.
Gamewatchers/Porini Camps took home the Best African Tented Safari Camp Award while Finch Hatton’s, located in Tsavo West, claimed the honours as Africa’s Leading Safari Lodge.
The prize for Africa’s Leading Spa Resort and for Kenya’s Leading Resort went to The Chui, aka Leopard Beach Resort and Spa, while Alfajiri Villas took the top place on the podium as Africa’s Leading Resort.
Villa Rosa Kempinski got on the map only weeks after opening when they took the honours for Africa’s Best New Hotel and host venue Safari Park Hotel walked away with the trophy for Africa’s Leading MICE Hotel.
Aberdare Country Club earned themselves the prize for Africa’s Leading Green Hotel.
Il Ngwesi added more trophies to Team Kenya when they claimed the award for Africa’s Leading Eco Lodge while Amboseli Serena Lodge took the top spot as Africa’s Leading Eco Hotel.
Masai Mara Game Reserve, renowned for the annual migration of the wildebeest through its territory from July to October every year, was named as Africa’s Leading National Park.
While Sarova Stanley Hotel took the honour for Kenya’s Leading Hotel and Bunsons Travel took the award for Kenya’s Leading Travel Management Company, Fairmont Kenya was honoured as Kenya’s Leading Hotel Brand.
Other winners were Ol Tukai Lodge from Amboseli National Park, Windsor Golf and Country Club as Kenya’s Leading Golf Resort and Swahili Beach Resort in Diani as Kenya’s Leading Beach Resort.
Air Kenya was named Kenya’s Leading Domestic Safari Carrier.
On the continental scale, Twiga Tours took the Responsible Tourism Award, after having already scooped Kenya’s Leading Inbound Operator trophy while Serena Hotels walked off with their crowning reward of the night, being named Africa’s Leading Hotel Brand just after having carried away the trophies for their Nairobi Serena Hotel, Kigali Serena Hotel, Kampala Serena Hotel and Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel – besides the already mentioned Amboseli Serena Lodge – making it 6 overall, unrivalled by any other company in Africa.
Kenya Airways scooped the prize for Best Business Class in Africa.
Kenya Tourist Board (KTB) repeated its success of 2012 when it was voted Best Tourist Board in Africa, appreciating the hard work KTB had put in over the past 12 months under often adverse circumstances.
An eTurboNews article
