A fast-growing media start up Travel News East Africa has been announced a finalist of the African Travel and Tourism Awards. The winners were due to be announced on 6 April at GOLD Restaurant as part of World Travel Market Africa 2020 in Cape Town but has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Travel News East Africa (TNEA) is a finalist for the Most Compelling Adventure Story Category alongside other three firms. The winners will be announced in May 2020. The African Travel and Tourism Awards is a celebration of all that lies beneath our African skies. They honour the stars of African tourism and the enchanting tales they weave for our industry. These Awards recognise the best of national, regional and city tourist boards and recognises outstanding private sector companies and individuals.
TNEA is making two years as a digital platform https://www.travelnewseastafrica.com/ providing news and features on the essential components of tourism and travel industry — Aviation, Conservation, Destinations, Hospitality, Maritime & Travel Tales.
According to the firms Marketing Director, TNEA was born out of the East Africa Community agenda where tourism makes a valuable contribution to the economies and affects the lives of many people in one way or another. Like most small businesses, there are expected challenges of basic resources, equipment and technology to catch up on expectations and sustain basic media practices. Thanks for the good will gesture of another media firm Abulink Media Ltd which has funded TNEA from inception to date. So far so good as good talent is on board to deliver quality work in the editorial, digital and IT departments that keep readers and clients served even when the travel industry is grounded by the covid-19 pandemic.
We have a role to play as a media house to give hope and news updates to the various stakeholders even when the situation is hard, we are like medical staff facing the covid-19 head one, says the Editorial note from TNEA group chat as they prep their daily runs.
According to Megan Oberholzer, Portfolio Director for Africa Travel Week, “The submissions were of an extremely high calibre, featuring tales of magic weaved from diverse voices, celebrating the stories that lie Under African Skies – stories of vitality, riches, movement, time, strength, change and promise.”All the finalists for the Awards have demonstrated how through through vivid marketing campaigns and/or providing unique travel experiences they attracted travellers to their destination, venue or to use their product offering. The finalists have written the most compelling stories in the book of African travel.
The African Travel and Tourism Awards received over 100 entries across the eight categories, Africa is as unique as it is beautiful. It is underneath our starry skies that generations of storytellers have held court while telling their folktales.