Kenya has received a record 5 destination awards it was nominated for at the 23rd annual World Travel Awards (WTA), Africa & the Indian Ocean Islands Gala Ceremony.
The event was held at the Diamond La Gemma Hotel in Zanzibar on Saturday night.
The awards included:
Africa's Leading National Park which went to the Maasai Mara National Reserve
Africa's Leading Beach Destination which saw Africa’s leading beach, Diani retain the top position
Africa's Leading Meetings & Conference Destination, went to Nairobi
Africa’s leading Destination and Africa’s Cruise Port 2016 - Mombasa
Africa's Leading Tourist Board for the 5th year running retained by the Kenya Tourism Board.
Tourism Principal Secretary Fatuma Hirsi who received the awards on behalf of the sector applauded the industry players who have consistently showcased the country amid challenging times.
She singled out Nairobi as indeed having become a city of choice for international conferencing, saying “we are happy with the role that the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) is playing.”
“The increase in bed capacity through the entry of international brands like Radisson Blu and Kempinski and the recently opened Golden Tulip Hotel, enhanced security and improved infrastructure has seen Kenya meet the international standards for successful bidding to host global meetings," she said.
Kenya will be hosting UNCTAD and TICAD in July and August 2016 respectively.
“We have a world heritage to protect in our parks and we must continue to support conservation in order to remain the top authentic safari experience. Mombasa port has attracted various cruise ship in the recent past and the recognition of Mombasa as a leading destination in Africa is a big win for the coastal product that had suffered a lull," she added.
The WTA celebrates excellence across the travel tourism and hospitality sector.
“We are happy with the endorsement that these awards bring to the destination as a whole and we encourage all stakeholders to pull together as we recover the sector.”
Last year, Kenya was voted as Leading Safari Destination during the 2015 World Travel Awards (WTA) held in El Jadida, Morocco, on December 12 beating seven other nominees including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.