African Travel Week has added a new ‘Reigniting Africa’ category to their Travel & Tourism Awards to acknowledge the most impactful, story-driven COVID-19 campaign.

Entries open until 15 Feb 2021 with the winner announced during a special awards evening at GOLD Restaurant during Africa Travel Week in the Host City of Cape Town.

Entries are open for ‘Reigniting Africa’, a new award category in the inaugural WTM Africa Travel & Tourism Awards to acknowledge the most impactful, story-driven COVID-19 campaign.

“The Reigniting Africa Award is about recognising those in the African travel and tourism sector who have worked valiantly to address the impacts of COVID-19, using their resources and facilities to keep us connected, and engaged,” says Megan Oberholzer, Portfolio Director: Travel, Tourism and Creative Industries at Reed Exhibitions.

The winning story-driven consumer or trade campaign must bring the Africa destination to life, giving viewers a taste of the destination’s culture, natural beauty, history, and vibrancy. Submissions will be judged by an independent panel of industry experts with the criteria focusing on tone, visibility, messaging, and brand perception.

“We are looking for a campaign that uses an authentic and creative narrative reflecting a positive image of Africa as a tourism destination,” adds Oberholzer. “It must tell the many positive stories about Africa, enticing visitors back to the continent.”

The following stakeholders along the value chain are encouraged to participate:

*Destination Marketing Companies

*Tourism Boards

*Marketing, public relation, communication, advertising and branding firms

*Start-ups and innovators

*Marketers

*Brand experts

*Digital experts

Since this is a completely new award, previous entrants and winners in other categories can still apply. Entries close on 15 February 2021 with the winner being announced at a special awards evening during Africa Travel Week at partner venue, GOLD Restaurant, in the Host City of Cape Town.

“Winning this award offers individuals and teams a chance to see their hard work celebrated as a source of best practice for industry peers to be inspired from, and to learn from. It will stand as a lifetime accolade which demonstrates their perseverance and ability to deliver great ideas geared towards #MakingTravelHappenAgain,” she concludes.

Enter your own outstanding COVID-19 campaign before 15 February 2021. Only campaigns executed in the period from 01 January 2020 to 31 January 2021 will be eligible for the Reigniting Africa Award.

Participants can register their interest by signing up on the WTM Africa website here