By Dipo Olowookere
Thursday, January 25, 2018 has been fixed for the second edition of the Africa Travel Awards organised by Jumia Travel, a leading online travel agency on the continent.
A statement issued by the firm on Wednesday disclosed that the ceremony will hold simultaneously in eight countries: Nigeria, Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Uganda, Senegal and Tanzania.
The awards aim at promoting Nigeria’s tourism sector, and responds to the need of encouraging hoteliers to improve the quality of their services for further advancement of their respective destinations.
Seven categories to be awarded include Customer’s Favourite Hotel 2017, Customer’s Favourite Airline Company 2017, Best Destination Website 2017, Jumia Travel’s Booking Award 2017, Traveller’s Choice Hotel 2017, Best Leisure Hotel in Nigeria 2017, and Best Business Hotel in Nigeria 2017.
A jury panel, made up of high-level tourism professionals in the country, has been put together to judge the nominated hotels and ultimately decide on the winners. The jury’s decision will contribute 50 percent of the outcome, while the other 50 percent will be from the public through a voting process.
Winners of the African Travel Awards 2018 will be honoured during a cocktail held on January 25, 2018 simultaneously in Lagos, Algiers, Dakar, Abidjan, Accra, Douala, Dar Es Salaam, and Kampala.
“By organizing these African Travel Awards, our mission is not only to recognize and reward the merit of local tourism stakeholders, but also to provide a credible benchmark for the African tourism industry,” said Joe Falter, CEO of Jumia Travel.
Aduragbemi Omiyale 
Modupe Gbadeyanka