Tanzania: Jnia Nominated for World Travel Awards

By Edward Qorro in Arusha

THE Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) in Dar es Salaam has been nominated for the

27th edition of the World Travel Awards (WTA) scheduled for later this year.

The state-of-the-art Airport will battle it out with the likes of O.R. Tambo International Airport of Johannesburg, South Africa and Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in the Africa's Leading Airport category.

Its grand entry in the awards is buoyed by the construction and eventual opening of its terminal III section, which was commissioned by President John Magufuli, last year.

Commenting on its nomination, JNIA's Director Mr Paul Rwegasha expressed his delight over the news and Tanzania's recognition in the global awards.

"Once you qualify for such awards, it gives reputation and a competitive edge," he said.

The 282 million US dollars (about 650bn/-) facility whose construction was made possible through local funding, currently handles international flights and is part of Dar es Salaam's bid to position itself as a regional aviation hub.

The state-of-the-art facility is expected to serve up to six million passengers per year.

The airport's Terminal I has an annual capacity of 500,000 passengers, while Terminal II has a 1.5 million-passenger capacity.

At full capacity, the three terminals will make JNIA one of the busiest hubs in Africa.

Other Airports that will fend-off JNIA's challenge include Kigali International Airport, Rwanda, Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport, in Morocco and Egypt's Cairo International Airport.

Established in 1993, the awards acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry.

Today, the WTA brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.

Each year, it covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies staged to recognise and celebrate individual and collective success within each key geographical region.

"With voting now open across a number of regions, it is time to make your voice heard by voting for the organisations that are raising the bar of travel excellence.

WTA is regarded as the highest accolade in the industry, and your vote can really make a difference," said WTA Founder Mr Graham Cooke.