Leading travel promoters in Nigeria and Ghana have won the awards of Top 100 Tourism Personalities in West Africa, among whom are Mrs. Uloma Egbuna, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Tour Brokers International; Mr. Simon Grindrod, the General Manager of The Wheatbaker Lagos; Dr Michael Pinder, Group General Manager, Sun Heaven Hotels and Resorts, and Mr Lehlohonolo Hloni Pitso, the Regional Manager West Africa for South African Tourism’s regional Africa office based in Lagos, Nigeria: all from Nigeria.

From Ghana are Ms. Hazel Gumpo, the Group General Manager of Oak Plaza Hotel; Leeford Quarshie, General Manager, La Villa Boutique Hotel; Mrs. Bella Ahu, CEO of Trafix Catering Limited; Dr. Daniel McKorley, the Executive/Chairman of McDan Group of Companies; Mr. Nicolas Jørgensen Gebara, General Manager, Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund and Mrs. Nancy Sam Quartey, Chief Executive Officer of Staple Travel and Tours, Ghana.

“The Top 100 Tourism Personalities was set up to recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves and through their efforts or that of their organizations have impacted positively on the travel and tourism sector across the West African sub region, whose efforts have stimulated and helped to achieve their individual country’s tourism goals and forging interactions among stakeholders and customers across the region”, said Mr. Ikechi Uko, organizer of the awards.

Members of the diplomatic Corps in Ghana which included high commissioners and ambassadors, were well represented among whom are Lulu Xingwana, High Commissioner, South African High Commission in Accra – Ghana; Mr. Thomas Okyere, the Honorary Consul, Botswana Honorary Consulate in Accra – Ghana; Ambassador Pavelyn Tendai Musaka, Zimbabwe Embassy in Accra – Ghana and Mwansa S. Rowland, Deputy High Commissioner for Zambia High Commission in Accra-Ghana. The Namibian Ambassador and the Nigerian High Commissioner were also in Attendance.

The ambassadors and high commissioners were honoured with the Awards of Recognition for their outstanding roles in driving travel and tourism exchanges between their countries and West Africa.

In his speech, Ghana’s former tourism minister, Nene Nagai Kassa VIII, Honourable Mike A. Gizo, Chief of Agomeda, and President of Shai Tradition, called on stakeholders and practitioners in the travel and tourism industry in Ghana to seek progressive knowledge towards moving the industry forward by attending travel fairs, while urging them to support Accra Weizo, an ECOWAS travel fair which holds in Accra, Ghana annually.