The very best travel, tourism and hospitality brands in Africa and the Indian Ocean were hosted at Dubai’s new landmark resort, Atlantis Royal, where this year’s World Travel Awards (WTA) Africa & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony was held a week ago on Sunday, 15 October 2023.
Big winners at the red carpet included the paradise nation of the Maldives, emerging as winner of ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination’ as well as ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Tourist Board’. Kenya was named ‘Africa’s Leading Destination’. The thriving South African hub Durban took the coveted title of ‘Africa’s Leading Meetings & Conference Destination’.
Cape Town collected the honour of ‘Africa’s Leading City Destination’, and Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area won ‘Africa’s Leading Tourist Attraction’. ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Wedding Destination’ went to Mauritius, while ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination’ was claimed by Seychelles. Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club was voted ‘Africa’s Leading Hotel’.
In the aviation sector, big winners included Ethiopian Airlines with the titles of ‘Africa’s Leading Airline’ and ‘Africa’s Leading Airline – Business Class’. Kenya Airways was voted ‘Africa’s Leading Airline – Economy Class’. Air Mauritius claimed ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Airline’ and Trans Maldivian Airways was named ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Seaplane Operator’.
In the newcomer categories, Morocco’s Fairmont Taghazout Bay was named ‘Africa’s Leading New Hotel’ and Emerald Zanzibar Resort & Spa hailed. ‘Africa’s Leading New Resort’. Emerald Faarufushi Resort & Spa, Maldives was voted Indian Ocean’s Leading New Resort’. Travel provider winners included Get Into Maldives Travels (‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Luxury Tour Operator’).
Listed below are winners in the Kenya and Africa categories respectively:
Kenya
Africa
| Africa’s Leading Airline 2023 | Ethiopian Airlines |
|---|---|
| Africa’s Leading Airline – Business Class 2023 | Ethiopian Airlines |
| Africa’s Leading Airline – Economy Class 2023 | Kenya Airways |
| Africa’s Leading Airline Brand 2023 | Ethiopian Airlines |
| Africa’s Leading Airport 2023 | Cape Town International Airport, South Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Airport Hotel 2023 | Four Points by Sheraton Nairobi Airport, Kenya |
| Africa’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2023 | Diamonds Dream of Africa, Kenya |
| Africa’s Leading Beach Destination 2023 | Diani Beach, Kenya |
| Africa’s Leading Beach Resort 2023 | Swahili Beach, Kenya |
| Africa’s Leading Boutique Hotel 2023 | Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa, South Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Boutique Hotel Brand 2023 | Mantis Collection |
| Africa’s Leading Boutique Resort 2023 | Billionaire Resort & Retreat, Kenya |
| Africa’s Leading Business Car Rental Company 2023 | Hertz |
| Africa’s Leading Business Hotel 2023 | Transcorp Hilton Abuja, Nigeria |
| Africa’s Leading Business Travel Destination 2023 | Nairobi, Kenya |
| Africa’s Leading Car Rental Company 2023 | Hertz |
| Africa’s Leading Casino Resort 2023 | Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, Morocco |
| Africa’s Leading City Destination 2023 | Cape Town, South Africa |
| Africa’s Leading City Hotel 2023 | Fairmont The Norfolk, Kenya |
| Africa’s Leading Conference Hotel 2023 | Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre, Kigali, Rwanda |
| Africa’s Leading Conservation Company 2023 | Ol Pejeta Conservancy |
| Africa’s Leading Cruise Line 2023 | Oceania Cruises |
| Africa’s Leading Cruise Port 2023 | Port of Cape Town, South Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Design Hotel 2023 | Labotessa Luxury Boutique Hotel, South Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Destination 2023 | Kenya |
| Africa’s Leading Destination Management Company 2023 | Ker & Downey® Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Family Resort 2023 | Baobab Beach Resort & Spa, Kenya |
| Africa’s Leading Festival & Event Destination 2023 | Durban, South Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Green Hotel 2023 | Cheetah Plains, South Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Hotel 2023 | Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club |
| Africa’s Leading Hotel Brand 2023 | Radisson Blu |
| Africa’s Leading Hotel Residences 2023 | The Residences at Leopard Beach Resort & Spa, Kenya |
| Africa’s Leading Hotel Suite 2023 | Nelson Mandela Platinum Suite @ Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa, South Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Inflight Magazine 2023 | Msafiri (Kenya Airways) |
| Africa’s Leading Low-Cost Airline 2023 | Jambojet |
| Africa’s Leading Luxury Hotel 2023 | The Silo Hotel, South Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Luxury Hotel Villa 2023 | Villa Two @ Ellerman House, South Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Luxury Island 2023 | Thanda Island, Tanzania |
| Africa’s Leading Luxury Lodge 2023 | Silvan Safari, South Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Luxury Private Villa 2023 | Sirai House, Kenya |
| Africa’s Leading Luxury Resort 2023 | One&Only Cape Town, South Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Luxury Safari Company 2023 | African Bush Camps |
| Africa’s Leading Luxury Safari Lodge 2023 | One&Only Nyungwe House, Rwanda |
| Africa’s Leading Luxury Tented Safari Camp 2023 | Siringit Serengeti Camp, Tanzania |
| Africa’s Leading Luxury Tour Operator 2023 | Rhino Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Luxury Train 2023 | The Blue Train |
| Africa’s Leading Meetings & Conference Centre 2023 | Durban ICC, South Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Meetings & Conference Destination 2023 | Durban, South Africa |
| Africa’s Leading National Park 2023 | Serengeti National Park, Tanzania |
| Africa’s Leading New Hotel 2023 | Fairmont Taghazout Bay, Morocco |
| Africa’s Leading New Resort 2023 | Emerald Zanzibar Resort & Spa, Tanzania |
| Africa’s Leading Online Travel Agency 2023 | TravelYalla |
| Africa’s Leading Private Game Reserve 2023 | &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Private Island Resort 2023 | Manda Bay, Kenya |
| Africa’s Leading Private Jet Charter 2023 | ExecuJet |
| Africa’s Leading Resort 2023 | Diamonds Leisure Beach & Golf Resort, Kenya |
| Africa’s Leading River Cruise Company 2023 | Zambezi Queen Collection |
| Africa’s Leading Safari Company 2023 | Go2Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Safari Lodge 2023 | Makumu Private Game Lodge, South Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Serviced Apartments 2023 | Somerset Westview Nairobi, Kenya |
| Africa’s Leading Sports Resort 2023 | Pezula Nature Hotel & Spa, South Africa |
| Africa’s Leading Tented Safari Camp 2023 | Finch Hattons, Kenya |
| Africa’s Leading Tour Operator 2023 | Zara Tours |
| Africa’s Leading Tourist Attraction 2023 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania |
| Africa’s Leading Tourist Board 2023 | Tanzania Tourist Board |
| Africa’s Leading Travel Agency 2023 | Bonfire Adventures |
| Africa’s Leading Travel Management Company 2023 | Rennies BCD Travel, South Africa |
| Africa’s Most Romantic Resort 2023 | Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort, Mozambique |
| Africa’s Responsible Tourism Award 2023 | Twiga Tours |
Find more information and a full list of winners on the official WTA website.
About 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.
Each year, WTA covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies staged to recognise and celebrate individual and collective success within each key geographical region.
WTA gala ceremonies are widely regarded as the best networking opportunities in the travel industry, attended by government and industry leaders, luminaries and international print and broadcast media.
For more information about WTA visit worldtravelawards.com
Zuru Kenya 