Winners announced in Johannesburg on 7 July

Some 1200 industry leaders attended the World Travel Awards for Africa and the Indian Ocean, held on Wednesday, 7 July in Johannesburg. South Africa won many of the region’s overall categories.

Awards were also made to travel companies, organisations and destinations in Botswana, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tunisia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Graham Cooke, founder and president of the World Travel Awards, explains that in addition to the prestige for their respective companies and destinations, the winners gain considerable commercial benefit from their success.

“Because of their global reach and reputation, World Travel Awards are unique and regularly referred to as the ‘Oscars’ of travel and tourism”, says Cooke. “This means that consumers are increasingly using our portfolio of winners as a reliable and independent guide when booking their vacation.”

He adds: “Customer care and professionalism of African tourism has come a long way in the years since the World Travel Awards was first started. 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.”

Some of the top awards for “Africa’s leading” properties, businesses and establishments that went to South Africa include:

- Airline: South African Airways

- Airport: OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg

- Apartment hotel: The Regent

- Boutique hotel: Saxon Boutique Hotel & Spa

- Boutique hotel brand: Mantis Group

- Business hotel: Hilton Durban

- Casino resort: The Palazzo, Montecasino

- Conservation company: Shamwari Game Reserve

- Convention hotel: Sandton Sun

- Destination: Cape Town

- Family resort: Sun City

- Game reserve brand: Mantis Group

- Green hotel: Phantom Forest Eco-reserve

- Hotel: Saxon

- Innovative hospitality company: Signature Life Hotels

- Low-cost airline: 1time

- Luxury hotel: Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa

- Luxury lodge: Shambala Private Reserve

- Luxury train: The Blue Train

- Luxury villas: Thanda Private Game Reserve

- Meetings and conference centre: International Convention Centre Durban

- Meetings and conference hotel: The Westin Grand Cape Town Arabella Quays

- Resort: Sun City

- Responsible tourism company: &Beyond

- Safari lodge: Shamwari Game Reserve

- Spa resort: Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa

- Sports resort: Legend Golf & Safari

- Suite: Nelson Mandela Platinum Suite at Saxon

- Tourism development project: Fairmont Zimbali

- Tourist board: South African Tourism

- Townhouse hotel: Shamwari Town House

- Responsible Tourism Award: &Beyond



These are just some of the winners for Africa, and many more top properties were named in the South Africa category of awards. For a full list of winners, go to www.worldtravelawards.com.

The winners were selected following online voting by 183 000 travel professionals. These included travel agencies, tour and transport companies and tourism organisations in over 160 countries across the globe. The awards are in their 17th year.

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.

Some of the gala evening’s VIP’s included: Tokozile Xasa, South Africa’s deputy minister of tourism; Mansoor Mohamed, executive director of the City of Cape Town; Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, CEO of Cape Town Tourism; Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, commissioner of the Lagos State Delegation; and Kenneth Racombo, first secretary to the Seychelles High Commission.