Kenya has again been voted as the world’s leading safari destination by the World Travel Awards.
Kenya
scooped the prestigious award during a grand ceremony that took place
at JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Hotel in Vietnam on December 10.
It is the fourth time that Kenya has won the global accolade. Kenya bagged the award last year, in 2015 and 2013.
Kenya
overcame fierce competition from other African safari destinations such
as South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda and
Zimbabwe.
Leading beach destination
Apart
from the global win, this year, Kenya also scooped the Africa’s leading
beach destination award, the Africa’s leading national park award and
the Africa’s leading tourist board award from the World Travel Awards.
A
message from the World Travel Awards read in part: “It is with great
pleasure that we announce the world winners of the 24th World Travel
Awards 2017.”
Thanda Island from Tanzania scooped the
world’s leading exclusive private island award while Four Seasons Safari
Lodge, Serengeti, also from Tanzania, won the world’s leading safari
lodge award.
Legend Golf and Safari Resort from South
Africa won the world’s leading safari resort award while Villa iZulu
Thanda Safari, also from South Africa, bagged the world’s leading luxury
private villa award.
Shambala Private Reserve from South Africa scooped the world’s leading private game reserve award.
The World Travel Awards are widely regarded as the Oscars of the travel industry.
Most prestigious awards
The
organisation is the travel industry’s most prestigious awards
programme, rewarding leaders in the tourism, airline, hotel and
hospitality sectors around the world.
The body
supports, promotes and develops the global travel and tourism industry
by identifying and rewarding excellence and inspiring practitioners to
continually raise the standards of their products and services.
The votes come from qualified executives working within travel and tourism and the consumer travel buyer.
On
Wednesday, Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) chairman Jimi Kariuki termed the
global award win as a great honour to Kenya’s safari offering.
He
said Kenya deserved the win since it has best safari hotspots such the
world famous Maasai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Park, Lake
Nakuru National Park as well as the Tsavo East and West National Parks.
Wildebeest migration
“The
annual wildebeest migration spectacle in the Mara, abundant wildlife in
our parks, which include the Big Five, makes Kenya stand above the rest
in the safari world,” Mr Kariuki said.
He added that
KTB would capitalise on the global award to aggressively market the
country in both traditional and emerging markets for Kenya to attract
many wildlife enthusiasts.
Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) chairman Mohamed Hersi said Kenya was indisputable the best safari destination in the world.
“We
are delighted that our country scooped the coveted global award. We
must take advantage of the win to woo more safari seekers for tourism to
recover,” he said.
The KTB boss said there was need for Kenya to protect its flora and fauna for it to maintain its global safari appeal.
“Illegal poaching of wildlife must be brought to an end for the country to attract more wild life lovers.
"The wildlife are a great heritage, which we must conserve for sustainable tourism development,” he added.
Reported by Mathias Ringa – Business Daily.
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