ROUTES AFRICA ENDS 3 DAY MEETINGS ON A HIGH
(Posted 10th July 2013)
Presentations this morning by Kenya Airways and FastJet ended three days of intense and often outright captivating meetings at Kampala’s lake side resort of Munyonyo, which, according to all delegates, provided ‘the best environment for a conference one could wish for’. This correspondent was privileged to have moderated the ‘Driving Tourism in Africa’ session with a panel of eminent individuals like Doreen Owusu, CEO of Ghana Airports Company, Girma Shiferaw, Ethiopian Airline’s Director of Alliances and Network Planning, John Twiss, Network Planning Manager of United Airlines and the CEO of the Uganda Tourism Board Cuthbert Baguma.
Due to the non arrival of one panelist on the topic ‘Outlook for the Future’ an ad hoc appearance was then added, being able to spell out 5 key action ingredients: Improving the policy, regulatory and legislative regimes, Forging Partnerships between the private sector stakeholders and with government, Developing Human Resources, Embracing the media including main stream but also social media and bloggers and finally to Market Market Market Africa both on the continent as well as globally.
During the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority and Air Uganda sponsored gala dinner last night, set in the gardens of the resort right by the lake side, the Ndere Troup, Uganda’s best known performers of traditional dance, song, poetry and choreographed ballet, entertained nearly 400 delegates and invited guests, who enjoyed the Pearl of Africa’s traditional hospitality before witnessing the annual award ceremony.
Routes Africa’s Vice President Nigel Mayes was at hand to announce the category winners and overall winner of the 2013 awards with Kilimanjaro International Airport, in the under 4 million passengers per annum category took the honours before being also crowned overall winner. Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport took the coveted top prize for Africa’s airports, ahead of Casablanca and Addis Ababa.
The Seychelles, almost predictably, scooped the Best Destination Marketing award, edging out Kwa Zulu Natal and Mozambique.
As the overall winner of the Africa category will Kilimanjaro International Airport also enter the race for global top honours, which will be announced at the World Routes event later this year in Las Vegas, where they will compete against the likes of San Diego, Munich and Changi, carrying African hopes.
Routes Africa will be heading to Victoria Falls in 2014, their winning bid being announced at the very end of a splendid evening to the roars of approval from those present, and the Zimbabwean delegation held their flag high when they learned that they had bagged this increasingly important aviation conference for their country. From Lake Victoria to the Victoria Falls it is, see you there between 22nd and 24th of June next year. For more information on the Routes meetings around the world visit www.routesonline.com
