Republic of Mauritius- Mauritius to welcome World Travel Awards Africa and Indian Ocean 2019

During a press conference, yesterday afternoon, at the seat of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), in Port Louis, MTPA’s Director, Mr Arvind Bundhun, said that Mauritius is very proud and honoured to host the WTA Africa and Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony 2019.

“As a major tourism player in the region and beyond, we are convinced that our very popular and attractive destination is the most fitting venue for this prestigious event in the tourism world. We are thrilled to host this prestigious regional event, allowing us to showcase our multifaceted country in all its glamour”, the Director added.

Mr Bundhun highlighted that the leading travel industry figureheads and decision-makers from Africa and the Indian Ocean will attend the event namely, the Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine from Seychelles, Mr Didier Dogley; the Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism from Bangladesh, Mr Mahbub Ali; the Minister of Tourism and Wildlife, Mr Najib Balala; and the President of the Regional Council of Reunion Island, Mr Didier Robert. Several actors such as Pascal Elbé, Nicole Garcia, and Bruno Lasalle, and Miss England 2019, Alisha Cowie, will also be present, he said.

In a bid to give greater visibility to the WTA, several international press organisations will be covering the event. They are: Euronews, Zee TV, South African Broadcasting News, TV5 Monde, TF1, and Carrier Arabia. Mr Bundhun further stated that this international coverage will help Mauritius to bounce back on the event market. This world acclaimed event will take the country to the next level in terms of positioning the destination. WTA is the Oscar of the industry and this event will further increase the visibility of our destination on the international front, he stated.

As regards the sequence of events, the Director of the MTPA highlighted that in the context of the Awards, the World Bank will organise, on 30 and 31 May 2019, a conference on Air Connectivity in Africa. The MTPA will, for its part, organise a meeting on 31 May with representatives of the Vanilla Islands. A conference on Fintech in the tourism sector will be held on 1^st June. The WTA Gala Show 2019 will kickstart on 1^st June and will end on 2^nd June with a ‘regate’ at Mahebourg.

World Travel Awards

WTA was established in 1993 to 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.

WTA’s annual quest is to identify and reward travel and hospitality excellence – those organisations that are driving the industry to new heights by creating greater and more innovative customer experiences.

Nominees this year range from a broad spectrum of categories namely: Aviation, Tourist Attractions, Car Hire, Cruise, Destinations, Hotels & Resorts, Meetings & Events, Travel Agencies, Tour Operators and Travel Technology, amongst others.