HICA awards 2009 nominations closing on 31st August 2009
26. Aug, 2009
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Nominations for the annual HICA Awards have already started to come in from both local and regional industry and based on the interest so far, the 2009 HICA Awards looks to be highly competitive. If you haven’t taken the opportunity, nominations close on Monday 31 August – so use these last few days to make sure you are in the running.
The HICA Awards were launched in 2007 to complement the annual Hospitality Investment Conference Africa and are now in their third year. Four categories will recognised in these year’s awards – The Best New Hotel Development, Excellence in Travel and Tourism Reporting, Tourism Business Leadership Awards and an award for the industry’s Upcoming Mover and Shaker.
The awards, which are coordinated and adjudicated by Grant Thornton Strategic Solutions, have previously recognised industry greats such as Hans Enderle of the City Lodge Group and the innovation and excellence of products such as the Gondwana Desert Collection in Namibia, the Protea Fire & Ice Hotel in the Western Cape, and Lebo’s Backpackers and Bicycle Tours from Soweto.
“Our vision with the HICA Awards is to showcase and promote the products and people in our industry who inspire us all to go further, work harder and achieve a world class quality standard in Africa,” says “Mmatšatši Marobe the Chief Executive Officer of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa. “This year we are looking not only at new hotels and innovation in the industry, but also recognising the industry leaders and the potential leaders of tomorrow.”
In addition the awards also recognise the importance of travel and tourism journalism. “There are not many awards which particularly single out journalism that covers travel and tourism sector and we feel that this is long overdue.
Editorial expression of tourism experiences is probably the most powerful form of marketing available to our industry after word of mouth. Finding and rewarding those journalists who understand how to explore, write and become advocates of tourism experiences is so important for our industry,” adds Marobe. The 2008 winner in this category was Helen Ueckermann of Sake Rapport.
Nomination forms can be downloaded from www.hica.co.za and can be emailed to Mr Pila Rulashe on prulashe@gt.co.za or faxed back to him on Fax:011-322-4767 / 086-570-4148, or delivered to Grant Thornton, 137 Daisy Street, Sandown, 2146.
Winners will be announced during the Hospitality Investment Conference Africa on 4th to 6th November 2009 at the Sandton Sun Hotel in Johannesburg. Those wishing to attend this premier investment conference to gain valuable insight from leading industry role players such as Radissons Blu, FNB, Southern Sun, Pam Golding Hospitality, Hilton, Accor, Group RCI and many other, please register on www.hica.co.za or contact Ms Zelda Coetzee on Tel: 021 762 1442.
My name is Muzi Mohale a full-time travel blogger, your host at Travelwires.com responsible for all editorial on this blog. I blog about the travel and tourism industry in Africa. Apart from blogging about tourism, I also run 
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