Recently updated on October 25th, 2022 at 07:54 am
Winners have emerged at the 2017 Balearica Nigeria Tourism Awards – honouring experience and enterprise excellence in Nigeria’s tourism industry.
The Balearica Nigeria Tourism Awards is designed to register public opinion on the performance of leisure and business tourism service providers and attractions. The Awards celebrates outstanding travel and tourism professionals and trend setters in the Nigerian tourism industry.
Four of the twenty awards are non-voting awards namely: Best Tourism Governor, Lifetime Achievement Award, Tourism Personality of the Year and Royal Support for Tourism. These categories were determined only by the judges.
Winners of 2017 Balearica Nigeria Tourism Awards
- Best Airline (Domestic) – Domestic airline that has consistently met passengers’ expectations on timing, service and safety.
- MEDVIEW – Winner
- AIR PEACE
- DANA AIR
- Best Airline (International) – International airline that has consistently met passengers’ expectations on timing, service and safety
- SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS
- DELTA AIRLINE
- ETHIOPIAN AIRWAYS
- EMIRATES
- ETIHAD
- AIR FRANCE/KLM
- LUFTHANSA
- KENYA AIRWAYS
- BRITISH AIRWAYS
- VIRGIN ATLANTIC
- RWANDAIR
- Best Aircraft Charter Company – Charter company with consistency in safety and service quality
- BRISTOW
- EXECUTIVE JET
- SKY JET
- TRIBET AVIATION
- GYRO AIR
- Best Hotel – Hotel that provides a range of personalized services & amenities, creating a memorable stay away for guests
- THE WHEATBAKER
- EKO HOTEL
- MAISON FAHRENHEIT
- TRANSCORP HILTON
- LAGOS ORIENTAL
- RENNAISSANCE
- Best Resort – Resort that is outstanding for the array of available activities & amenities and superior guest experience
- WHISPERING PALMS BADAGRY
- LA CAMPAGNE
- FIFTH CHUKKER RESORT KADUNA
- ABRAKA TURF & COUNTRY CLUB
- LE MERIDIEN UYO
- GREEN LEGACY RESORT ABEOKUTA
- Best Tourism Attraction – Attraction that has won the hearts of visitors and emerged as local landmarks and that delivers on cleanliness, uniqueness, safety, awareness
- IDANRE HILLS
- NIKE ART GALLERY
- CALABAR CARNIVAL
- KAJURU CASTLE KADUNA
- OLUSEGUN OBASANJO PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY
- KANO DURBAR
- Best Tour Operator – Domestic and inbound tour operator that consistently delivers great value tour experiences
- JEMI ALADE TOURS
- TRAVELNEXTDOOR
- MOTLEY TRAVELS
- SJ TOURS
- IBOM TOURISM
- TOUR2NIGERIA
- REMLORDS TOURS
- Best Travel Agency – Travel agency with consistent superior service quality
- TOUCHDOWN
- FINCHGLOW
- DEES TRAVELS
- QUANTUM TRAVELS
- HRG TRAVELS
- WONTRA
- TOUR BROKERS INTERNATIONAL
- DIAMONDS & PEARLS
- Best Travel Technology – Global Distribution System or other technology support service provider powering tourism industry services
- AMADEUS
- SABRE
- GALILEO
- Best Online Travel Agency – Online travel agency with the most satisfaction to customers for service and functionality
- WAKANOW
- TRAVELSTART – Winner
- TRAVELDEN
- AJALA.NG
- TRIPBERRY
- TRAVELBETA
- JUMIA TRAVELS
- Best Travel Print Media – Travel magazine or newspaper pullout/Column outstanding for its content, creativity and quality
- COME TO NIGERIA
- ATQ NEWS
- BUSINESSDAY TRAVELS – Winner
- INSIDE WATCH AFRICA
- Best Travel Programme (TV) – Travel TV programme outstanding for its content, creativity
- DESTINATIONS AFRICA
- GOGE AFRICA – Winner
- THRU THE EYES OF AN AFRICAN
- Best Travel Programme Radio – Travel radio programme outstanding for its content, creativity
- TRAVEL DESTINATIONS – CLASSIC FM 97.3
- AVIATION TOURISM & LEISURE SHOW – CITYFM 105.1
- TRAVEL WITH TEMI – COOL FM 96.9 – Winner
- Best Tour Guide – Outstanding tourist guides & tour managers who have delivered distinctive & compelling customer experiences
- ANAGO JAMES OSHO
- PELU AWOFESO
- JEMI ALADE
- Best Travel Blog – Honours the most outstanding travel blog with strong bias for Nigerian tourism content for the last year
- SOCIAL PREFECT
- TVP ADVENTURES
- NAIDRENALIN
- UNRAVELLINGNIGERIA
- TRAVELSTART NIGERIA
- NAIJA NOMADS
- Best Transport Company – Contribution to tourism through the provision of outstanding bus transport services
- GOD IS GOOD – Winner
- GUO
- ABC TRANSPORT
- CHISCO
- Best Restaurant – Dining establishment that provides customers with a memorable experience through their concept, quality of food and drinks, ambience and delivery of top-notch service.
- NKOYO
- DELTA KITCHEN
- SAILORS LOUNGE
- BAMBOO HOUSE
- YELLOW CHILLI
- TERRA KULTURE
- Best Airport – Recognition for airport that has stood out for service, facilities & operations
- MURTALA MOHAMMED AIRPORT 2 (MM2) LAGOS
- NNAMDI AZIKIWE ABUJA
- PORT HARCOURT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
- MALLAM AMINU KANO INTL AIRPORT KANO
- AKANU IBIAM INTL AIRPORT ENUGU
- Best Outbound Destination – Most sought after outbound destination for Nigerians. This is the only non-Nigerian award and the idea is to follow the destinations that appeal to Nigerians and see what we can learn from their marketing, promotion et al.
- DUBAI – Winner
- CAPE TOWN
- ACCRA
- NAIROBI
- FLORIDA
- Best Tourism Governor – Governor that has walked the talk for tourism development and that has demonstrated the most commitment to tourism in terms of infrastructure and policies.
- LAGOS
- RIVERS
- BAUCHI
- ONDO
- AKWA IBOM
- Most Supportive Brand (Financial; Telecomms; FMCG; Oil & Gas; Payment Systems) – Brands that have supported tourism drivers like events, industry associations and companies.
- MTN
- GLO
- DANGOTE
- NLNG
- VISA
- SAMSUNG
- PEPSI
- GTBANK – Winner
- Lifetime Achievement Award – Recognition for individual who, during their lifetime, have made creative contributions of outstanding significance tourism.
- CHIEF OLUSEGUN OBASANJO
Initiated the FESTAC 77 as Military President – Festac ’77, also known as the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, was a major international festival held in Lagos, Nigeria, from 15 January 1977 to 12 February 1977. Created the Presidential Council of Tourism as civilian President. Also created the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Owner of the Grand Legacy Resort and Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta.
- Tourism Personality of the Year – Individual that has actively supported tourism in the last year
- BANKOLE BERNARD
President of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) and has been the most loudest voice in the past year for the promotion of domestic tourism and the sanitization of the aviation sector.
- Royal Support for Tourism – For Royal Fathers who have supported tourism and peace in their domains
- OONI OF IFE
The Ooni has preached tourism since his ascension to the throne and supported various tourism causes like the revamped Olojo Festival.
The Judges
The Balearica Nigeria Tourism Awards judges were selected based on their expertise, experience and integrity. They are renown professionals in their fields, mostly tourism related.
- Mr. Steve Isokariari – Chairman BOT of NANTA (National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies)
- Chief Micah Imomotebegha – MD of Rewards Travels and APJC Member
- Femi Adebayo – Special Adviser on Tourism to Kwara State Governor
- Andrew Okungbowa – President ANJET (Association of Nigerian Tourism Journalists & Writers)
- Barrister Opeyemi Orioye – Legal Practitioner
- Mr. Tope Ogbeni-Awe – Topcomm PR
- Mrs. Rita Obidike – SKAL Lagos President
The Process
An abridged process was deployed for the inaugural edition of the Balearica Nigeria Tourism Awards as follows:
- Judges nominate 3 individuals/organizations for each category
- Nominations are collated and announced
- Public voting commences
- Winner by majority votes announced at the awards gala
For subsequent editions, the process will be:
- Individuals and organizations send in their nominations for the various categories
- Judges streamline to 5 nominees per category
- Nominees are announced
- Public voting commences
- Winner by majority votes announced at the awards gala
The Balearica Statuette
The Balearica is named and designed after the Black Crowned Crane. The Black Crowned Crane is the national bird of Nigeria. Countries have national animals and plants as symbols for tourism promotion. The statuette is 230mm by 217mm made of 24ct gold plated aluminium with black acrylic.
