Balala wins Africa tourism award

Tourism minister Najib Balala is this year’s Africa Tourism Minister of the Year.

The minister reaped top honours after trouncing seven of his counterparts in the continent who had been short listed for the awards presented at the Africa Tourism Investors Summit and Award Gala at the Joachim Chissano Conference Centre in Maputo, Mozambique.

Mr Balala was feted for his efforts to revive the sector, which had been hit hard by the post election crisis that saw more than 1000 people killed and 350,000 others rendered homeless.

During the time, tourists fled the country in droves forcing tens of hotels and tourism related establishments to cut down their operations leading to the retrenchment of many workers.

According to the Kenyan Bureau of Statistics, the tourism sector declined 34.7 percent over most of last year.

The Kenya Tourism Board itself estimates tourist arrivals between January and October last year shrunk 35.2 per cent, from 873,00 to 565,000. Updated figures from the KTB are yet to be released.

Mr Balala was also rewarded for leading the implementation of government policy on promoting sustainable tourism which consequently raised the country’s global profile in tourism.

Further, the country together with Gabon were recognised for their efforts to ensure that their tourism destinations were eco-friendly.

Said Mr Balala on receiving the award, “This victory confirms that Kenya is not only a major player in tourism development in Africa but the world as well. The award is an honour for the entire tourism industry in Kenya.”

Mr Balala trounced Mr Shamsa Mwangunga (Tanzania), Nandi-Ndaitwah (Namibia), Fernando Sumbana Jr (Mozambique), Mohammed Boussaid (Morocco), Khelil Lajimi (Tunisia), Charles Xavier Luc Duval (Mauritius) and Marthinus Van Schalkwyk of South Africa to the elusive award.

Mr Van Schalkwyk was the 2008 winner of the award.

But despite the win, other Kenyan entities that were nominated for awards in various categories were not successful in the colourful event attended by Mozambican President Armando Emilio Guebuza, but did not win.

They included the Kenya Tourism Board, which had been nominated in the category of Tourism Promotion Agency of the Year and the Kenya Tourism Trust Fund (TTF) nominated under the Best Initiative in Facilitating Small and Medium Enterprise Tourism Investment.

Others were Kenya Airways (Best Airline), Eagle Africa Insurance Brokers (Business Travel Insurer), Ol Malo Eco-Lodge and Trust (Sustainable Tourism Investment) and Nairobi City (Tourism Investor City of the Year).

The event was organised by the International Pan-African investment group, Africa Investor (Ai) in partnership with the Government of Mozambique, the International World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) and NEPAD among others.

Its objective is to recognise the achievement of individuals, governments, business, organisations and individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the growth of sustainable tourism investment in Africa.

The tourism investor summit and awards are designed to showcase Africa’s opportunities and achievements to the rest of the world, collectively raise awareness about Africa as a tourist destination and reward those groups developing the African tourism industry as a vehicle to drive sustainable economic growth.