The countdown to the Lilizela Tourism National Awards, South Africa’s premier tourism awards platform, has started following the conclusion of the provincial series of the awards ceremony held last month. The provincial awards sought to award the best of the best tourism businesses and tourist guides in the provinces.
The Lilizela Tourism Awards have grown substantially since they were launched in 2013. This year, over 1 100 entries were received across all categories, making these awards far-reaching and widely representative of the national tourism industry.
“The Lilizela Tourism Awards deliver the tourism industry with a public platform to have their work recognised in front of peers, industry leaders and the media. These are the people running small, medium and large tourism businesses, who deliver the services and products that make tourists fall in love with South Africa. They are the best of the best in this tourism industry and it is only fitting to honour them in front of their peers and other industry stakeholders for their invaluable contribution to the industry and our country,” says Thulani Nzima, chief executive officer at South African Tourism.
During the countrywide provincial awards, 219 tourism product owners and service providers in the industry were recognised and rewarded for their contribution to service excellence in tourism and upholding the promise of quality assurance. The provincial winners will now go on to compete with their counterparts from the rest of the country at the national awards ceremony.
“The provincial awards have again allowed us to see the wealth and diversity of offerings our sector has. That we could honour all these tourism businesses and service providers during Tourism Month is indicative of our commitment to helping grow businesses and creating platforms for showcasing these phenomenal organisations to the rest of the country and the world,” explains Nzima.
A promise of excellence, unparalleled service and exceptional quality, the Lilizela Tourism Awards are a showcase of only the absolute best the country’s travel and tourism industry has to offer. As the highest honour in tourism, consumers can be
sure that those who are awarded are worth a visit. The Lilizela Tourism Awards take place at the Sandton Convention Centre on 22 October, 2015.
