Kenya’s leading hospitality businesses vie for World Tourism Award honours

SUN AFRICA IN RUNNING TO MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW AT WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS

(Posted 20^th July 2013)

The race is now on towards the finishing line on the 16^th of October, when the Kenya Tourism Board, aka www.magicalkenya.com will host the 20^th edition of the World Travel Awards ceremony, during which the winners from the African continent will be announced. The event will be celebrated this year in Nairobi as part of KTB’s annual Magical Kenya Tourism Expo for which both, the award ceremony and the tourism exhibition, record numbers are expected to attend.

Though nominations have been forwarded from all over East Africa, the bulk of them has come from Kenya, where the ‘situational awareness’ towards such awards and their impact on marketing their properties, the conventional way and through social media and using e-tools, appears still way ahead of their neighbours and partners in the region. Leading beach resorts, safari lodges and camps and of course city hotels have been nominated, from the InterContinental Hotel to the Nairobi Serena Hotel, from the Leopard Beach Resort and Spa to the Whitesands Beach Resort, from Serena to Sarova to Hemingways and on to Fairmont Kenya. Among the nominees is Sun Africa Hotels’ going for a three in a row recognition of Keekorok Lodge and Sovereign Suites and a first time award for their ‘newcomer’ Kiboko Luxury Camp on the shores of Lake Naivasha.

The World Luxury Hotel Awards (WLHA) are by many in the industry considered as the pinnacle of achievement for Luxury Hotels worldwide while the World Travel Awards (WTA) serve to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. The World Travel Awards are considered as the Oscars of the Hotel Industry, a befitting image and incentive of course to be among the winners called to the stage on the 16^th of October.

Voting ends on the 14^th of August, as the candidates for honours are now busy canvassing for votes, all of them of course keenly hoping to add yet more trophies to their award cabinets. Good luck to them all and see you in Nairobi for the award ceremony.