The much-awaited travels magazine was launched on November 4, 2009. The travel magazine is the first international travel and tourism magazine in Nigeria.  It is a product of many months of planning and strategising with top travel journalists within and outside Nigeria .The magazine aims to fill the void observed in the reporting of the travels and hospitality sector in Nigeria and will  report global travel trends from a Nigerian perspective.

As early as 1p.m, guests started trickling in. As guests entered into the hotel premises, friendly ushers helped them find the auditorium where the event was holding.

At the auditorium, there was conviviality  and a feeling of great expectation in the air. Soft music played in the background,while promo videos and Power Point slides were ready for the day’s event. Proceedings started in earnest  with an opening prayer, and then a rendition of  the Nigerian national anthem; it was not the usual recorded version of it but rather a live one rendered with a traditional

talking drum by a drummer clad in Yoruba traditional attire. There were cultural performances by first class troupes, including Revissant Dance Company, a popular dancing troupe put together by Princess Latifah, an erstwhile Beauty Queen.  The high point of the event was the musical performance by Bigiano, a top musical artiste.

Ambassador Segun Olusola, a cultural icon, who also is the chairman of the African Refugee Foundation, chaired the launch. Officials from leading airlines, hotels, tour operators, travel agencies and telecommunications outfits attended the superlative launch.

Trips to motherland can be a bit tangy and unnerving. Abimbola Johnson lays down the basics on what tourists need for an African safari.

Africa is the most beautiful continent in the world. The continent of Africa remains one of the hottest regions of the world with a large portion of it experiencing drought and desert encroachment. It is where 1 billion people of the world call home. The landscape and the vegetation are as diverse as the facial construct of the people. A sizeable part of it is arable but yet a chunk of it is not – the Sahara desert is one of these areas. But the tourism boards, tour operators and the locals have since learned to put this area to use. There are now organized expeditions through the African deserts- this is done using Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs).

Many cite the warm people of the continent as the major reason they prefer the region to other areas of the world. In sub Saharan Africa it is commonplace to hear of traditional titles been conferred on visiting tourists. There are no regions of the world that roll out drums (literally speaking) to welcome visitors like it is done in Africa. They are serenaded and treated like royalty by the locals during their stay. Tour operators make a stopover at the palace of the traditional ruler an integral part of the tour. It is during these moments that tourists are able to gain firsthand experience of what life in the locality is like.

However, most times many tourists are ill prepared for this mother of all trips. They do not know what to come along with to the beautiful continent.

Here are a few tips to help you prepare yourself for an exhilarating trip to the ever-shining continent.

1.     Sandal – so that your feet can breath as you navigate the various tourist destinations.  For maximum comfort, it is best to wear sandals and foot wears that are aerated.

2.     Sun hat or better still a straw hat, the wider the diameter the better.

3.     Sunglasses, sunglasses, sunglasses – Africa is the land of the sun, so expect  so much  of it. It can be uneasy at times for the first timers. The sunrays can be discomforting and harmful to the eye. It is ideal that you use sun glasses when outdoor throughout your stay. Sun up sun down the heat is stinging.

4.     Light clothing-tie and dye, batik, woodin. Many of the ethnic clothing are done with the weather in mind. So when coming obtain a few and you will never be wrong. They are obtainable at some of the duty free shops at the airports’ arrival terminals.

5.     Sunscreen – the climate is hot and a Caucasian visitor will find it harsh on the skin.  It is expected that you include a sunscreen cream in the list of items you are travelling with if at all you want to maintain your skin colour. Nevertheless, if you want to do what many foreign tourists like doing this days -skin tanning / sun baths; omit it entirely from your list. Come and bask in the African sun and bear the marks of motherland.

6.     Designer water – Africa can guarantee you enthralling sites and destinations but not excellent drinking water. Admittedly, there is water in most of the region but it is best to arrange for the water you will be drinking prior to your departure. If you have a designer water that you are accustomed to, you can come along with as many bottles as you will possibly need during the duration of your stay.

7.     Rugged footwear-The terrain is rough you will need a pair of cleats or boots to effectively navigate it.  Nature trails can be exhilarating and yet challenging. Be prepared.

8.     Sport Utility Vehicle – Whether it is the Sahara desert or the safari parks. The roads are not in good state of repair, but often times, the road are left in their elemental state in order to ensure the whole thing is natural. Only expect the access road to be paved so when you go in,  you are sure to encounter nature in its crude form.

9.     Camera- you will need one to record memorable moments as you try to ‘conquer the earth’. Experiences are nothing without a camera; but with a camera no matter how poor the quality, you can always relive the moments. Many of the scenes in most African destinations are worth capturing. You will not forgive yourself if you fail to go with it.

10.    A  Filofax- you will need it to record how things went, take down contacts, phone numbers , emails and all that.  It will come in handy if you are into memoirs. In the world of today, record keeping is so central as it allows for easy access to facts, information and figures.

11.    Get local knowledge – Now, here is the most important piece. Before or during your trip learn to say a few of the words in the local language. The internet is a veritable tool you can explore.  You can start by learning the greetings. In most part of West Africa, from Liberia to Nigeria, the form of English spoken on the streets is Pidgin English. It helps you to, at least, start, sustain and end a conversation successfully, and at the same time earn their respect. Get a map of the  town or city you are visiting, also get info on the places you are visiting prior to  visiting a site. But if you are touring with a tour operator you are in luck as you will be supplied all this and more.

“But, as was the case with other sectors, it was hit hard by the credit and housing market collapses last year that triggered the deepest recession since the Great Depression,” said Jean-Claude Baumgarten, WTTC’s President & CEO, launching the council’s annual research results at ITB Berlin recently.

World GDP fell by 2.1% in real terms, with developed economies, a major source of demand for travel and tourism, the most severely affected. Households curtailed leisure travel plans, substituting lower-cost short-haul and domestic travel for more expensive long-haul trips, and corporations reduced business travel budgets.

“Within the travel and tourism sector itself, investment plans were shelved or delayed, even in some previously dynamic, expanding destinations, Baumgarten said. Finally, the A(H1N1) influenza pandemic instilled a fear of travel in many markets, at least, until the less virulent nature of the disease was recognised, and government immunisation programmes got underway.”

As a result, and despite the resilience of some, notably Asian, emerging economies, activity and employment contracted across the sector. Global travel and tourism economy GDP declined by 4.8% in 2009 and this caused the loss of almost 5 million jobs or 5.6 million since 2008. All regions experienced significant contractions in visitor arrivals, spending and Travel & Tourism Economy GDP, and Travel & Tourism investment declined by over 12%. Only residents’ spending on domestic trips increased, and that was by a mere 0.7% in real terms.

235 million employed in travel and tourism worldwide, despite the downturn.

Nevertheless, even in such a depressed year for activity as 2009, travel and tourism still employed over 235 million people across the world, 8.2% of all employment, and generated 9.4% of world GDP.

The global economy has now moved into a recovery phase, although the pick-up in developed economies is expected to be gradual as households, corporations and governments all battle to rebuild their balance sheets. “Despite recent encouraging short-term indicators of tourism activity, the recovery in world Travel & Tourism is expected to be muted”, Baumgarten warned, adding “with both firms and households examining travel plans carefully and continuing to limit expenditure, spending in real terms is expected to increase by a mere 1% , while business travel spending will again decline by nearly 2%.

The recovery should gain momentum through 2010 and 2011.

Given current credit conditions and delays in restarting large projects, travel and tourism investment is also expected to decrease for the second consecutive year by 1.7%. Thus, travel and tourism economy GDP is forecast to grow by just 0.5% in 2010 overall. But stronger second-half momentum will continue into 2011 to boost growth next year to 3.2%.

In the longer run, travel and tourism will sustain its leading role in driving global growth, creating jobs and alleviating poverty. Emerging economies, in particular, are expected to be engines of growth, boosting international travel, with China alone set to provide almost 95 million visitors for other destinations by 2020, and also generating an increasingly vibrant domestic travel sector.

“But developed economies will continue to dominate global travel and tourism for the foreseeable future,” Baumgarten noted. While many are mature markets reaching a ceiling in terms of propensity to travel, a growing preference for and priority focus on leisure is expected to provide clients for new destinations once consumers fully regain confidence.

“The popularity of short breaks, both domestic and international, will continue to increase. And innovation by the travel and tourism industry will create new products and markets”,  he said.

Overall, the Travel & Tourism Economy is forecast to grow by 4.4% per annum in real terms between 2010 and 2020, supporting over 300 million jobs by 2020, i.e, 9.2% of all jobs and 9.6% of global GDP. This confirms that travel and tourism will continue to grow in importance as one of the world’s highest-priority sectors and employers.

Among the nations that donned the toga of independence are Nigeria, Congo Brazzaville, Central Africa Republic, Somalia and Mauritania, to mention but a few.

Fifty years down the line, and precisely in this year 2010, all the countries that got nationhood in 1960, no doubt, would want to peep into the last 50 years retrospectively to reflect on their gains and losses and chart new courses for national progress. Where necessary the golden jubilee would be marked by celebrations to commemorate the day of independence.

Nigeria, the most populous black nation on earth, a befitting world event has been planned for the 50th anniversary. The Federal Government and Nigerian conglomerates have put together a public-private partnership program to support the celebrations which will also take place in major cities of the US, UK, Australia, Asia, Ghana, South Africa and some others.

The Federal Government had earmarked N10b for the celebrations, but due to outcry from many Nigerians over what they consider as a colossal waste of scarce resources the budget has been whittled down to N7b. The main plan of the celebration is mass involvement of Nigerians from all walks of life.

Planning for the golden jubilee celebrations, however, started months back with a series of meetings under the aegis of Nigeria @ 50 Planning Committee. The Naija Village, was set up in South Africa, basically to support the national team, Super Eagles, at the 2010 World Cup through entertainment and also re-position the image of Nigeria to the world especially, South Africa for two weeks. It was one of forerunner events to announce the celebrations.

The Nigeria High Commission in South Africa and Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation endorsed and supported the setting up of the village in an ambience of lush green dotted with traditional huts, art works and crafts, fashion, and offered Nigerian cuisine as well as cultural materials, all depicting the country’s rich heritage.

A representative of President Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Alhaji

Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed, who was accompanied by the country’s Ambassador to South Africa, Brig. Gen. Buba Mohammed Marwa (Rtd.), opened the village on Monday June 14. During the opening ceremony, Sadiq Mohammed said that government was trying its best to make the performing industry strong enough to yield its true eco-tourism potential.

He said, “government is strengthening the institutions that will protect them, especially Nollywood, by opening the market for them, by trying to ensure that they are given the necessary prominence, which they deserve in the social scheme.”

The minister noted that government has been trying, as much as possible, to protect the Nollywood industry’s intellectual right, by way of strengthening the institutions that protect them, adding that government is increasingly trying to provide the necessary avenues for them to harness their resources and their strength so that they can reap from their efforts as it is done in other countries.

Marwa urged Nigerian entrepreneurs to take advantage of the platform provided by the joint Nigeria/South African business relationship to invest in that economy.

He said the village was “one more avenue

for us to build on that image that we are working on,” adding that with the village, “we want to make an impression to the whole world that Nigeria, 50 years after independence, has arrived. You could see as mentioned before, in this village, we stand out as the best, and what will come in the next week is unimaginable. We have some of the greatest artistes from around Africa, in terms of music and the film industry; several nations from other countries will be trouping down to see them. They are people that are very rare to see in Nigeria, let alone other places. This is a village that will showcase Nigeria, and also make the right impression of what Nigeria is.”

The Director General of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and Deputy Director of Nigeria @ 50 Planning Committee, Segun Runsewe, in his remarks, emphasized that Nigeria could not afford to lag behind in the global search for a new market for cultural and tourism products abroad.

Nigerian musical talents Tee Mac, Shina Peters, Yinka Ayefele, Alariwo of Africa, Sunny Neji and Yinka Davies performed to the admiration of visitors, while other Nollywood stars and comedians including Bob-Manuel Udokwu, Paul Adams, Shan George, Gbenga Adeyinka, MC Abbey and Andy Gabriel, were also on hand to showcase their prowess.

Naijafest 2010 initiators said that the event would be glamorous and radiant to reveal the richness, wealth and beauty of the most populous black nation in the world, as the flavour of the festival would be such that all entertainments on offer would appeal to all ages.

“It would be an authentic Nigerian festival as never seen before as major Nigerian artistes and entrepreneurs mount stages in prime locations around the world,” revealed Kunle Awosusi, CEO Jowa (UK) Ltd and Naijafest worldwide organiser. The Nigerian consultant is Heartlink Events supported by Mity Associates.

He said the festival would form a remarkable and memorable event for Nigeria, Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora, and all other foreign nationals who access the event.” Awosusi said that they are mindful of some challenges in Nigerian development in the areas of infrastructure, education, rural development, Niger Delta and many others, however, “we are in a moment in history to elevate our country and accelerate its rebranding process.”

According to Kemi Otegbade, the head consultant of Heartlink, various states’ governments have indicated their intention to support the concept whereby Nigeria would be rejuvenated through a new perception by the world at large.

“The inspiration to inaugurate the festival worldwide is also to celebrate the biggest black nation in the world, a country, which is also considered to be both the ‘Giant and Heart’ of Africa”, Otegbade said.

The utilization of glamorous art displays to demonstrate our economic vibrancy and cultural zest, showcased in well recognized zones in London, UK, America, Asia and the whole world is of paramount importance to Nigerian regeneration,” Otegbade said, adding “Naijafest will enable Nigerians in the Diaspora to benefit and feel part and parcel of the new Nigeria socio-economic movement.”

The Guinness World Records approved event was witnessed by a mammoth crowd that included some of the city’s elites. The event was part of a series of events lined up by the telecom giant to usher in the FIFA World Cup which held in June in the Republic of South Africa.

Kolawole Oyeyemi, MTN’s GM Consumer Marketing, opened the evening’s proceedings which was also used to burnish MTN’s  Africa United campaign. Prior to his address a couple of youngsters came on stage with flags of African representatives at the world cup. Oyeyemi stated that the campaign tagged as the Biggest Football Club in the World was to encourage Africans to maintain a united front and rally round their teams at the World Cup fiesta.

The FIFA World Cup theme song originally composed by Kelly Rowland, a member of the defunct girl band, Destiny’s Child, was performed by past winners of the MTN Project Fame West Africa. They were, however, joined by Tuface Idibia, a multiple award winning Nigerian artiste.

Lagos State’s Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Chief Ademola Adeniji – Adele, who represented Governor Raji Fashola, led a number of dignitaries that included Al-Hassan Yakmut, Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Premier League, Super Eagles legends, Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha and Daniel Amokachie , Joseph Yobo and Tuface Idibia to unveil the ball.

Following the unveiling, Tuface took the stage and performed some of his popular songs including Implication, his latest hit track.

“The World Cup is the biggest; it is only fitting to kick off our official countdown to the tournament with a huge ball, the kind of which you have seen tonight,” said Bola Akingbade, MTN’s Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, in response to a question on the purpose of the project. Akingbade further stated that 133 MTN subscribers who were lucky in winning the MTN World Cup promo travelled to South Africa to watch the competition’s first round matches, while another 300 high profile Nigerians were sponsored by MTN to watch the matches live.

The FIFA World Cup without question is at the top of the pile of sporting events in the world.  It involves 32 teams that  jostle for the coveted prize, which is a 18-carat gold trophy. The countries that represented Africa in the 2010 edition of the World Cup were host South Africa, Nigeria, Cameroon, Algeria, Cote d’ Voire and Ghana. The tournament kicked off on the 11th of June at the Johannesburg Soccer City with the host South Africa taking on Mexico. Ghana was the only African country that scaled through to the last eight. Spain won the coveted cup by beating the Netherlands.

The Nigeria day at the event was on Thursday November 11. It had in attendance members of the press, officials of the top travel exhibitions such as FITUR, The World Travel Market (WTM) and the ITB.  There were musical performances by musicians of Nigerian descent based in the United Kingdom. The fun filled event had   guests dancing to the music and learning Nigerian dance steps. Visitors to the Nigeria day were made to experience a slice of the Nigerian hospitality through the various sumptuous Nigerian dishes and beverages that were served them. The beautifully designed and decorated Nigeria stand was indeed a crowd puller.

A day before the Nigeria day, the Director General of the Nigeria Tourism Development Commission, Otunba Segun Runsewe, addressed members of the press. Through his energetic delivery, he stressed that Nigeria has beautiful tourist destinations that surpasses what is available elsewhere in the world

“I like to tell you that it will interest you to know that only last year Nigeria generated about 500 million US dollars from tourism investments in our country alone; and somebody asked me ‘do you know that all the chains of hotels in the world, 6 are right now in Nigeria?’ ” said Otunba Runsewe.

If what the people at Reeds exhibitions (the organizers of the WTM) said is anything to go by, Nigeria had an impressive showing at the Travel Market and made so many friends in the process.

“We are extremely honored to receive this award from our customers who have extremely high standards of service for their shipments,” said AA Cargo President, Dave Brooks. “Every American Airlines employee should be very proud of this award, the result of our collective commitment to serving the air cargo industry throughout our global network,” he said.

The International Airline of the Year award is determined each year by a survey of XLA members who use the services of carriers for express deliveries around the world.

AirCargo 2010 is the premier annual trade show and conference for the Air and Expedited Motor Carriers Association (AEMCA), the Airforwarders Association (AfA), and the Express Delivery and Logistics Association. Each year, AirCargo brings together industry experts within the express delivery, freight forwarding and

expedited motor carrier industries.

American Airlines Cargo(SM), a division of American Airlines Inc., provides over 100 million pounds of weekly cargo lift capacity to major cities in the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia.

American, American Eagle and the American Connection regional airlines serve more than 250 cities in over 40 countries with more than 3,400 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American provides one of the largest cargo networks in the world, with cargo terminals and interline connections available across the globe.

Founded in 1976, XLA is a nonprofit association whose members include large firms with global delivery networks and smaller businesses with strong regional delivery networks. Worldwide, XLA members have operations in over 200 countries; move more than 20 million packages each day; employ more than 800,000 people; operate 1,200 aircraft and earn revenues in excess of $60 billion annually.

INGREDIENT

1 bowl of dried zobo leaves

1 teaspoon Ginger

Flavours

Sweeteners or sugar

Garlic

Lime or lemon juice(optional)

Pineapple peels or juice

WHAT TO DO

Wash dried Zobo leaves properly in ordinary water to get rid of sand and particles. Put the Zobo in a cooking pot. Add moderate amount of water and allow to boil for about 25 minutes.

Add the grounded ginger and garlic, the pineapple peels and the lemon rinds and allow to boil for over 20 minutes.

Remove from heat, allow it to cool and sieve into a big bowl to remove residue. Add sugar or honey when still hot and stir properly to taste

Add flavours, e.g, strawberry, pineapple, apple, orange and any other flavour used in baking.

Put in bottles and chill immediately to prevent fermentation .Serve chilled. If too thick dilute with water before serving.

NUTRITIONAL FACT

Zobo drink is a veritable source of vitamin A. It is also recommended for hypertensive patients. Recent researches have confirmed the drink to be a good cure for diarrhoea and pneumonia.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups of ofada rice

• Unripe pepper (Rodo)
• Unripe tomatoes
• 1 large size onion
• Assorted meat (Beef, Liver,
• Kidney, Shaki, Ponmo, e.t.c)
• Medium size dried fish
• Dried crayfish
• Medium size stock fish
• Locust beans
• Palm oil
• Groundnut oil
• Choice of seasoning
• Salt
• Green leaves (ewe use for moimoi)

PREPARATION

Put your pot filled with water on fire to boil. Rinse your ofada rice and pour it in the boiling water. Ensure that you have enough water for the rice to boil properly. When the ofada rice is properly done, drain the water from it and put the rice in a warmer. The water must not be allowed to dry with the ofada rice.

NB: If you buy your rice from the local market you will have to pick out the dirt and stones before cooking but if you buy already packaged from the supermarket you just unpack, rinse and cook.

THE SAUCE

Parboil the assorted meat with salt and seasoning. When it is almost done, wash your pieced stockfish and add it to the boiling meat to make it soft. Fry the assorted meat with groundnut oil. Get another pot, put it on the fire to dry, add your palm oil, allow it to be very hot i.e. (bleached). When it is bleached put it off the fire to cool a bit. Pour the blended pepper (unripe rodo, tomatoes and onion) when it is properly fried. Wash the locust beans (iru), the stock fish, the dried fish and the crayfish to remove stone particles. Pour everything in the fried sauce including your assorted meat, add your choice of seasoning and salt to taste. Allow everything to cook for 15mins.

HOW TO SERVE

Get your leaves washed properly and place on a plate. Put your ofada rice on the leave and add your ofada sauce and it is ready to eat.

Ofada rice is local and not processed like the common rice. It is very nutritious

The essence of the leaf is to make the rice look local with nice aroma.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS

Rice is packed with nutrients as it contains well over 15 vitamins and minerals. It is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, which are the best kind, stored in muscles and gives us energy when we need it. It contains high quality proteins, especially when compared to other grains. Rice contains all eight of the essential amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanain, theronine, tryptophan and valine) which help to build and maintain muscle tissue and make up enzymes, antibodies and hormones.

The amount of nutrients depends on the rice brand. White rice will not offer vitamin A, vitamin C or calcium. The amount of iron that it will supply will likely be half of what brown rice can offer, and it also has less protein than brown rice.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin E, Choline, vitamins B6 and B9 (folate); albeit nutrients such as vitamin K and betaine, are only found in brown rice.

It was a night of elation – and some disappointment – as the travel and tourism industry’s ‘great and good’ watched South Africa take the spotlight, winning many of the region’s overall categories.

There were awards too for travel companies, organisations and destinations in Botswana, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tunisia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The biggest applause of the night though was saved for Dr. Aupindi Tobie Aupindi, Managing Director of the fast-expanding Namibia Wildlife Resorts, named Africa’s prestigious Tourism Personality of the Year.

Dr Aupindi, currently gearing up to celebrate the Etosha National Park Centenary, a significant milestone in conservation, has been described as “inspiring the next generation of Namibian Leaders”.

CEOs, directors of leading travel companies, government ministers, heads of tourism departments and destinations, industry association leaders and celebrities gathered for Africa’s most important industry evening.

VIPs included: Hon. Tokozile Xasa, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Tourism; Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, the Hon. Commissioner, Lagos State Delegation; Mr. Kenneth Racombo, First Secretary at the Seychelles High Commission; Mr. Mansoor Mohamed, Executive Director of the City of Cape Town, and Ms.

Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, CEO of Cape Town Tourism.

South African Airways was voted Africa’s Leading Airline and 1Time Airline, the budget carrier from Johannesburg, operating low cost flights to airports within South Africa and Zanzibar took the titles of both Africa’s Leading Low-Cost Airline and Africa’s Leading Online Tour Operator.

The Hilton Durban took Africa’s Leading Business Hotel; the elegant five-star decadence of The Palazzo Montecasino in Johannesburg won the title Africa’s Leading Casino Resort; and Cape Town walked off with Africa’s Leading Destination.

The internationally renowned Sun City Resort, South Africa, won Africa’s Leading Family Resort, while Starwood Hotels & Resorts took the title of Africa’s Leading Hotel Group. Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa at

Hermanus, South Africa, took Africa’s Leading Luxury Hotel and The Westin Grand Cape Town Arabella Quays, South Africa, triumphed as Africa’s Leading Meetings & Conference Hotel; Sandton Sun, one of Johannesburg’s top landmarks was Africa’s Leading Convention Hotel.

Kenya’s luxury getaway resort of Diani Reef Beach & Spa in Mombasa was Africa’s Leading Beach Resort and Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh beat the competition as Africa’s Leading Beach Destination. The Sheraton Miramar Resort El Gouna Hughada in Egypt took Africa’s Leading Beach Hotel. Morocco’s Palmeraie Golf Palace was voted Africa’s Leading Golf Resort.

Thousands Voted

The winners were selected with the help of thousands of industry professionals worldwide who voted online.

Graham E. Cooke, Founder and President of World Travel Awards said that in addition to the prestige for their respective companies and destinations, the winners gain considerable commercial benefit from their deserved success. “Because of

their global reach and reputation, World Travel Awards are unique and regularly referred to as the ‘Oscars’ of travel and tourism”, said Cooke.

“This means that consumers are increasingly using our portfolio of winners as a reliable and independent guide when booking their vacation,” he added.

The awards, established 17 years ago, are committed to raising the standards of customer service and overall business performance throughout the international industry.

“Customer care and professionalism of African tourism has come a long way in the years since the World Travel Awards was first started”, said Cooke, adding “What is so encouraging for Africa is that unlike much of the world, the region has determinedly bucked the trend, notably with the sub-Saharan destinations

which are doing particularly well.”

Winners of the regional ceremony will now go on to compete in World Travel Awards 2010 final in London, immediately before World Travel Market on Sunday 7 November.

The world acclaimed theatre production AFRICA UMOJA and Kewela Tebza provided spectacular entertainment at the ceremony and the instrumental pop super group Sterling EQ were the stage band.