Travellers Awards 2021: NAFEST wins Best Tourism event as Sterling Bank emerges Best Bank

Director Generals of National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe

The yearly National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST), packaged by the Nigerian Council of Arts and Culture (NCAC), has been selected by tourism professionals as the Best Tourism event in Nigeria. This will be the first in the last five years that Carnival Calabar will not be winning the award.

NAFEST was held in Ekiti State and attracted over 30 States who showcased their cultural and creative products. Tour Operators had familiarisation visits to Ekiti, linking NAFEST to the tourism circuit in Nigeria.

Also, Sterling Bank was unanimously chosen as the Most Tourism Friendly Bank of the Year. Ever since the bank showed its intention to participate in the tourism space in Nigeria, it has not relented. Partnering with Lagos State to launch the Lagos Tourism Masterplan was its first major move. It also hosted the World Tourism Day with the world famous Nike Art Gallery in Lagos. It has also partnered with the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to provide WiFi at Lagos International Airport, and also introduced loans for Tour Operators to source for tour buses.

Also, the Lagos State Commissioner of Tourism, Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf was chosen by members of the Tourism 100 Club and the Publishers of Travellers Magazine as the Best Tourism Commissioner in Nigeria in 2021. The Lagos Commissioner had engaged stakeholders and initiated training for Tour Operators and Creatives based in Lagos. This has become the benchmark for most states’ in tourism development.

The Chairman of Air Peace, Chief Allen Onyema was chosen as the Travel Personality of the Year 2021 due to his consistent performance in the Aviation Business. His airline is the first airline to bring a brand new commercial passenger plane to Nigeria since Arik Air and Virgin Nigeria over 10 years ago.

Director General of NIHOTOUR, Turaki Nura Kangiwa emerged The Tourism CEO of the Year 2021. He was a breath of fresh air in the tourism industry in 2021 with events and training all over the country.

President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) Nkereuwem Onung was named The Tourism Man of the Year. His election as the FTAN President was a unifying tonic needed by the Tourism Community riven by dichotomy and in fighting. He has since set out inaugurating zonal chapters and encouraging strong member associations.

Travellers Award also unveiled African World Airline as the Best International Airline in Nigeria and Turkish as the Best from Europe. The winners were chosen from a pool of 27 international airlines that operated 9673 flights and carried over 2 million passengers from 5 airports in Nigeria. The Awards will be presented on March 11, 2022 at Abuja Jabamah.