BA, SAHCOL, others partner Africa Travel Awards 2016 @ 12TH AKWAABA

Come 30^th October, 2016, the Africa Travel Awards will host its awardees at the 12^th AKWAABA slated to hold at Eko Hotel, Lagos. The event will be graced by leading stakeholders in the travel industry both within and outside the country.

Notable among them is Nigeria’s most reliable Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL), British Airways and Friends Fun Wine. Their partnership with the event extols the values of interconnectivity of various services in the travel industry.

SAHCOL commands integrity and outstanding performance in cargo freighting, ramp and passenger handling. The company’s services are significantly invaluable to the travel industry, having established its presence in all the commercially operated airports in Nigeria and West Africa.

By partnering with Africa Travel Awards, SAHCOL has “the opportunity to proudly identify itself with other stakeholders who have contributed to the growth of travel in Africa,” according to the Vice Chairman of SAHCOL, Chike Ogeah.

The UK’s air giant, British Airways, even though not domiciled in Africa, has an intriguing history in African travel experience; that of baby feeding and weaning the industry to growth. It has earned recognition as one of the first airlines to have established commercial flight services in the continent.

As part of its contribution to the growth of the industry and to mark its 80^th Anniversary, the airline will be giving out prizes at the 12th AKWAABA on daily basis. There will also be a star prize of a business class ticket to London.

On that same chain of partners, Friends Fun Wine, a popular brand of quality wines and flavored drinks, will also showcase its presence at the Africa Travel Award, dubbed Travellers’ Night.

Fun Wine is a canned blend of quality wines with five flavored drinks -- Moscato Peach, Moscato Strawberry, Chardonnay Coffee Cappuccino, Cabernet Coffee Espresso and Sangria Red. Friends Fun Wine is packaged in 250ml cans and has just six per cent alcohol content, good enough for travelers to tolerate in their leisure.

The organizer of the event, Mr. Ikechi Uko, said the objective of Africa Travel Award is to “celebrate Africans and travel products that have thrived and pioneered different areas of travel and to reward excellence in terms of facility management and quality service delivery.” According to him, it is a special event that seeks to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in travel, tourism and hospitality in Africa.

Initiated since 2008, the Africa Travel Awards is one of the high points of the AKWAABA, drawing distinguished personalities from all over Africa. Winners are first screened by a panel of experts from across Africa while voting is done by the general public on its official website www.atqnews.com.
 
Many VIPs who have been part of the Africa Travel Awards include Former President of Nigeria, General Olusegun Obasanjo, Former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Nations, Sir Emeka Anyaoku, Former Vice President of Nigeria, Chief Alex Ekwueme, Executive Secretary of ATA, Eddie Bergman and a host of other VIPs.

Past Recipients of the Award include Former President of Gambia, Sir Dawda Jawara, Dr. Danny Jordaan, the CEO of South Africa World Cup LOC, Capt. Irene Mutungi, the first lady Airline Captain in Africa, Capt. Desta Zeru, the first African to captain a B787, Capt. Chinyere Kalu, first female pilot in Nigeria and a host of other pioneers in Africa.

The Africa Travel Awards marks the formal opening of the AKWAABA African Travel Market on the 30th of October 2016 and includes Speeches and Presentations, Award Presentation, Cultural Dance Displays from various Dance Troupes across Africa, Music Performances and Dinner.

This year, the event will have the ECOWAS Fashion show as the high point. According to Mrs. Joan Okorodudu, originator of ISIS Model who has organized various leading international fashion shows and events. This fashion show will feature top designers from West Africa and top Models in Africa doing what they do best in runway.

Aimed at promoting Travel and Tourism through Fashion, the theme: “Where Fashion meets Tourism” highlights the nexus between fashion to tourism. The show will be dignified by music performances from one of Africa’s extraction of contemporary musicians, Ire.

The 3-day event, which begins from 30^th October to 1^st of November, will also feature business to business Africa Tourism Expo to be anchored by different international tourism professionals. It offers a unique opportunity to all participants as they interact with key decision makers, service providers and the travelling public under one roof to discuss key trends in the industry, challenges and a way forward.

Also on the trail of features at the event this year, the first Africa Travel and Tourism Conference, which will attract Travel and Tourism professionals from Nigeria and across Africa, will take centre stage as crucial issues will be discussed with a view to finding solutions that will help the industry grow. There will be Exhibitions, Aviation day, Hospitality day and Country day. Countries exhibiting at AKWAABA this year, include; UAE, Bahrain, South Africa, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Namibia and Ethiopia.

Tickets for the Travellers’ Night Dinner are available at www.africantravelmarkets.com.