Africa investor Tourism Awards shortlist announced

This year, awards will be presented for Tourism Investment Programme of the Year; Business Resort of the Year; Tourism Promotion Agency (TPA) of the Year; Hospitality Management Team of the Year; Sustainable Tourism Investment of the Year; Best Initiative in Facilitating SME Tourism Investment; Hotel Investment of the Year; Tourism Investment Advisor of the Year; Business Airline of the Year; Ti 2010 Legacy Investment of the Year, Business Travel Insurer of the Year; Tourism Investor City of the Year and African Tourism Minister of the Year.

Professor Geoffrey Lipman, assistant secretary general at the UNWTO and chair of the awards judging panel, commented, “These awards are Africa's only initiative designed to recognise the achievement of those businesses, governments, organisations and individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the growth of sustainable tourism investment in Africa.”

This year's shortlist boasts an impressive array of pan-African tourism projects and profiles the extensive initiatives being taken by Africa's public sector and international private investors.

Commenting on the shortlist, Hubert Danso, Africa investor vice chairman, said: “Sub-Saharan African travel and tourism capital investment was estimated at US$20.4 billion in 2008, and by 2018 should reach US$42.6bn. As in any region, travel and tourism acts as a catalyst for construction and manufacturing, and these awards will recognise those organisations pioneering such projects. With the support and commitments already received for this year's event and the quality and quantity of entries, there is no doubt this will be a memorable awards ceremony.”

The Best Initiative in Facilitating SME Tourism Investment Award sees South Africa's Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), Dubai World and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) up against Kenya's Tourism Trust Fund, while Emirates, Kenya Airways, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and South African Airways are set to compete for the Best Airline of the Year award.

High profile corporate players competing for the Tourism Investment Advisor of the Year category include Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, Ward Consulting, Grant Thornton and Accenture.

The African Tourism Minister of the Year category has entries from Africa's leading ministers, including Najib Mohamed Balala of Kenya, Shamsa S. Mwangunga of Tanzania, N. Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia, Marthinus Van Schalkwyk of South Africa, Fernando Sumbana, Jr of Mozambique, Mohamed Boussaid of Morocco, Khelil Lajimi of Tunisia, Charles Gaetan Xavier Luc Duval of Mauritius.

The awards will be presented at an invitation-only gala ceremony on 27 February, 2009 at the Joachim Chissano Conference Centre, Maputo, Mozambique, coinciding with the Ai Tourism Investor Summit.

The summit will be opened by Armando Emílio Guebuza, President of Mozambique, who will launch the new Mozambique national brand at a gala event on 26 February. The second day of the summit will be officially opened by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Mozambique, Luisa Diogo, who will be followed by remarks from the Minister of Tourism and other dignitaries of the African Tourism investment industry.

The host sponsors are the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Mozambique, while gold sponsors of the summit are the Ministry of Tourism and National Parks of Gabon and Food Concepts and Entertainments and Vodacom Mozambique are cocktail sponsors. They are joined by a number of international partners including the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Africa Travel Channel, Africa Travel Association, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD); Southern Africa Direct TV, and the NEPAD Business Group.

For further information visit www.tourisminvestor.com

View the Ai Tourism Investor Awards Shortlist 2009 here.