Durban ICC welcomes travel elite for World Travel Awards
The Durban International Convention Centre (Durban ICC) has rolled out the red-carpet and is ready to welcome the crème de la crème of the travel industry who will descend on Durban for the World Travel Awards (WTA) Africa and Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony 2018.
Hundreds of the leading figureheads of the African and Indian Ocean are scheduled to attend the grand gala evening on 6 October 2018.
The esteemed ceremony will be held at the world-class Durban ICC, which is a state-of-the-art events and entertainment venue, opened by the late former President Nelson Mandela in 1997.
The World Travel Awards, also known as the “Oscars of the travel industry”, seek to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry.
This year also marks the sixth leg of the WTA Grand Tour 2018 – an annual search for the finest travel and tourism organisations in the world, celebrating its 25th Silver Jubilee anniversary.
Global travel and tourism industry leaders are recognised each year at the various World Travel Awards gala ceremonies held across the world, with the Durban ICC hosting the Africa and Indian Ocean nominees, delegates and media. It will be the third time that the Durban ICC has hosted the event, the first being in 2008.
Lindiwe Rakharebe, Chief Executive Officer of Durban ICC, said it is an honour for the centre to once again be the host venue for the 2018 edition of the awards.
She added that delegates attending this highly-esteemed awards ceremony will also get a chance to experience the bustling City life of this vibrant and cosmopolitan national destination of choice.
“This event also presents an amazing opportunity for Durban and KwaZulu-Natal to showcase its range of incredible experiences that suit every type of traveller. These experiences include our authentic proudly South African cuisine, safari, culture, history and adventure,” she said.
Durban ICC has organised a full itinerary throughout the weekend for guests to discover the rich history and culture of Durban and surrounding areas.
“We are all looking forward to welcoming our industry colleagues, friends and media from around the world. We are ready to give all our special visitors a warm and unforgettable Durban experience,” added Rakharebe.
The Durban ICC has been voted “Africa’s leading Meetings and Conference Centre” at the World Travel Awards no fewer than 16 times.
Graham Cooke, Founder and President of WTA, said: “It is with great anticipation that we return to the Durban ICC for the third time to host our African and Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony 2018. I am honoured that this world-class convention centre, which has staged some of the world’s most prestigious events, is forming part of our 25th anniversary of celebrating travel industry excellence.”
The neighbouring Hilton Durban will form the networking hub for the weekend. The landmark five-star hotel offers unrivalled accommodations in a supreme location, just minutes away from the Durban ICC and Durban’s beachfront.
As part of the Grand Tour 2018, WTA is also hosting ceremonies in Ras Al Khaimah (UAE), Athens (Greece), Hong Kong, Guayaquil (Ecuador) and Jamaica, with the winners progressing to the Grand Final in Lisbon (Portugal).
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Issued by: The Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (Durban ICC)
For more information contact: Durban ICC Corporate Affairs Manager Gugu Sisilana, 031 360 1302 or Gugusisilana@icc.co.za