Kenya has continued to cement herself as the global safari destination champion after scooping the prestigious 2019 World leading safari destination by World Travel Awards (WTA) event held on Thursday evening in Muscat, Oman.
Kenya topped as a home to World leading Safari lodge destination won by ‘Mahali Mzuri’, crowning the consistency the destination has had in this category having previously won the award five times in the last seven years.
In the Africa category, Kenya won Africa’s leading destination award as well as the leading destination management company while Nairobi was voted Africa’s leading business travel destination.
Kenya’s tourism marketing agency Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) was voted Africa’s leading tourist board while Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC) was voted Africa’s leading meeting conference destination.
Diani located in Mombasa city won Africa’s leading beach destination while Kenya Airways received the Africa leading Business and Economy class airline award.
Commenting on the awards KTB CEO Dr. Betty Radier said that the win was testament to the fact that tourists and business people across the globe prefer Kenya to other destinations because of its diverse offerings.
She added that the increased preference by visitors into the country is proof that Kenya’s travel and hospitality industry is definitely on the right track.
“We are very delighted to win this global awards because it shows great honor to Kenya’s safari offering which is loved worldwide. Kenya deserves this victory because the destination offers a myriad of safari travel opportunities to our visitors” said Dr Radier in a statement issued in Nairobi on Friday.
Kenya’s most sought after safari experiences are the annual wildebeest migration spectacle in the Mara, the Amboseli National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park as well as the Tsavo East and West National Parks.
Earlier in the year, Kenya was unveiled as the host of the Africa and Indian Ocean World Travel Awards Gala Ceremony in 2020 which will offer further boost for destination Kenya.
WTA was established to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of travel tourism and hospitality and is globally recognized as the ultimate industry accolade.
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.
JK/APA