Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Catherine Afeku and the Minister of Aviation, Cecilia Dapaah are to be honored at the Balafon Awards during the 2018 Accra Weizo Travel and Tourism fair to be held in Accra for their contribution towards travel and tourism in West Africa.
Catherine Afeku is to be awarded as West African Tourism Minister of the Year in West Africa while the Aviation Minister is to be awarded Aviation Minister of the Year.
Balafon Awards is an annual awards organized to recognize Pioneers and best players in the industry for the ECOWAS Region, attracting panelists from the hospitality and aviation industries across West Africa.
There would be a two-day event from June 22 to June 23 at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, and it would be officially opened by Ghana’s Minister of Aviation, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
The first day will be a seminar on Aviation, and the second day will be dedicated to ‘Travel, Tourism and the Internet’.
Managing Director of Nigeria’s oldest Airline Aero, Capt. Ado Sanusi, CEO of Ghanaian-based Smile Aviation and former CEO of Nigerian-based Associated Airlines,Alex Nwuba, Africa World Airlines’ Richard Kyereh among other industry players would serve as panelists at the seminar.
There would also be a Hospitality panel made up of top hotel managers in West Africa to discuss “The Adapting of International Hotel Standards to the African Environment.”
The Balafon Awards ceremony would take place on June 23, 2018.
Below is a list of personalities and organizations to be honored at the Awards.
- Travel Personality of the Year in West Africa – Stella Fubara Director Africa Dubai Tourism
- Tourism Man of the Year in West Africa – Mrs. Uloma Egbuna, MD, Tour Brokers international Nigeria
- Aviation Man of the Year in West Africa – Capt. Ado Sanusi, MD Aero
- Hotel Personality of the Year in West Africa – Malah Saleh – Gambia
- Best Airline in West Africa: – Air Peace
- Best Hotel in West Africa-Kempinski Gold Coast city Hotel Accra Ghana,
- Best Airport in West Africa – Dakar International Airport Senegal
- Best Ground Handling Company in West Africa –Aviance
- Best Tourism Marketing Award West Africa – Ghana
- Tourism Event of the Year West Africa – Carnival Calabar
- Aviation Minister of the Year West Africa-Cecilia Dapaah Minister of Aviation Ghana
- Tourism minister of the year in West Africa- Catherine Afeku