The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture in partnership with Ghana Tourism Aviation and Africa Tourism Partners organised an award ceremony to celebrate successful businesses in Africa.

The Africa Tourism Leadership Award first of its kind saw many successful businesses emerge winners Friday, August 31st 2018 at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel.

The evening saw some representatives from some African countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Burundi, Ghana, Nigeria and many more.

The Africa Tourism Leadership forum (ATLF) is a pan-African dialogue that brings together key stakeholders from Africa’s travel and tourism to network and share ideas for sustainable development across the continent.

The forum, among other things is aimed at providing a permanent platform for innovative leadership dialogue to drive sustainable growth in Africa’s tourism economy.

Speaking in an interview with www.ghanaweb.com the Minister for Tourism, Seychelles, Didier Dogley, indicated that one particular setback to growth in the tourism industry in Ghana is the poor attitudes of Ghanaians towards keeping the environment clean, adding that the environment lacks proper waste management systems.

He claims the terrible state of Ghana’s environs is of major concern and needs tackling.

The Seychelles Tourism Minister however, applauded Ghana for being one of the leading countries with exciting tourist attractions in Africa.

“I think Ghana is on the right path and I think there are lots of exciting stuff happening in Ghana as compared to other countries… Ghana at the moment is leading us as tourism is concerned in the region and probably is among the top countries in Africa.

One thing that it think Ghana needs to do a lot of work on is the quality of the environment, waste management which is still very much of a major concern.”

Professor of Tourism at the University of Brighton, Professor Marina Novelli on her part stated that the negative perceptions about Africa been hopeless is wrong.

According to the professor, having been in Ghana for over 3 years, she can confidently say that Ghana is nothing like a hopeless country.

“Though there were a lot of negative perceptions, sometimes about the African continent that it has been the hopeless continent in many ways but I’ve reached the point where actually I’m sorry, we are totally wrong about that.

The maiden Award show recognized game changing individuals and groups and here are the list of winners:

- Leading in Progressive Policies Award - Rwanda Development Board

- Outstanding Entrepreneurship Award - Kehinde Micheal Oluwadamilare of Discoveria

- Women in Leadership Award - Carmen Nibigira, Burundi

- Championing Sustainability Award - Wilderness Safaries, South Africa

- Outstanding Africa Tourism Media Award - Voyages Afriq Media Limited, Ghana

- Most Innovative Business Tourism Destination Awards – South Africa

- Outstanding Accommodation Facility/Group Award – SABI SABI Private Game Reserve - South Africa

- Outstanding Tourism Transportation Award – Ethiopian Airways, Ethiopian

- Destination Africa Lifetime Award – Late Professor Wangari Muta Maathai, Kenya

Personalities present at the event included the Minister for Tourism, Catherine Afeku, Tourism leader Abeiku Santana, Minister for Tourism, Seychelles Didier Dogley, Akwasi Agyeman – CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority, Kwakye Donkor - Chief Executive Officer of Africa Tourism Partners, South Africa and many more.