The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
ATC News by Wolfgang H. Thome
The end of the 2017 edition of the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) was marked with a gala dinner at the Kampala Sheraton Hotel to give hosted buyers and international travel media a befitting send off and celebrate excellence in the country’s tourism industry.
Uganda’s Vice President Edward Ssekandi handed over the key awards to the winners of the night. There were 25 awards in the various categories.
Two weeks of POATE passed in a flash for those who came to Uganda to sample its rich variety of tourism offerings and while initially going different directions did all then come together again in Jinja, a town at the source of the River Nile known as East Africa’s adventure capital.
There everyone had choices and the opportunity to experience what tourists normally do when visiting, such as bungee jumping, quad biking, horse back riding and of course rafting down some of the grade five rapids along the upper Nile valley.
Winners
Best Luxury Accommodation – Kampala Serena Hotel
Best Mid Range Accommodation – Mutanda Lake Resort
Best Budget Accommodation – Mweya Hostel and Cottages
Best Homestay – Tinka’s Homestead
Best Tour Operator – Matooke Tours
Best Travel Agent – Intek Travel
Best Airline – RwandAir
Best Cultural or Community Tourism Initiative – Entanda Community
Best Wildlife Destination – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Best Cultural Destination – Tooro Kingdom
Best Tourism Programme TV – Urban TV Ecozone
Best Tourism Journalist – Solomon Oleny
Best Digital Media – Diary of a Muzungu by Charlotte Beauvoisin
Best Conservation Institution – Uganda Wildlife Authority
Best Conservation Personality – Lilly Ajarova of Ngamba Island
Best General Safari Guide – Alex Gabiito
Best Cultural Guide – Tamwenya Paul
Best male tourism personality – Amos Wekesa
Best female tourism personality – Agnes Kemigisa
Award of Best Male #POATE2017 #Hostedbuyer at the just concluded #UGTEA2017 went to @whthome Congratulations pic.twitter.com/NvAS5w9L7R
— Tourism Uganda (@Tourismuganda) February 21, 2017
Best Exhibitor National Tourist Boards – Rwanda Development Board
Best Exhibitor overall – Serena Hotels
Best Exhibitor Regional Tourism Clusters – Lango
Best Exhibitor Regional Tourism Clusters – Kigezi
Most Active Social Media Profile Female – Kate Webster
Most Active Social Media Profile Male – Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome
