It was a day rich in glitz and glamour last week in Enugu as Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State received the Beacon of Tourism Advancement Award at the Jands Visionary Awards during the just concluded Domestic Tourism Conference organised by Jands Travel Business School, Enugu.
The award was in recognition of his administration’s effort to create a conducive environment for Nigeria’s travel, tourism, and hospitality industry to thrive in the state.
Enugu State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dame Ugochi Madueke, who received the award on behalf of Governor Mbah, commended the organisers for deeming it fit to honour those individuals who have dedicated their efforts to the advancement of tourism and hospitality in the region.
Dame Madueke, who also received the Tourism Impact Award, noted, “Jands has long been a beacon of excellence in the tourism and hospitality sector. Not only for its commitment to quality services but also for recognising those whose hard work and innovation drive this vital industry forward.”
Individuals and brands in the nation’s travel and tourism industry, as well as the Nollywood entertainment world, also lined up for recognition at the award ceremony.
Speaking at the occasion, the Director of Jands Travel Business School, Enugu, Mrs Chioma Obi, urged members of the public to join industry experts, entrepreneurs, and key players in the travel, tourism, and hospitality sector for national development.
Obi, who spoke on the topic titled: “The Role of Tourism Education in Advancing Domestic Tourism: Unlocking Opportunities through Knowledge, Networking, and Personal Development”, dwelt on the importance of knowledge, capacity building, tourism education, connections, and personal development, among others.
Mrs. Obi, who is also the founder of the Flowing Feathers Tourism Writing Competition, noted that the challenges facing tourism in Nigeria included accessibility issues, awareness gap, funding, and resources. The day of glitz and glamour at Jands Visionary Awards rounded up the Domestic Tourism Conference in Enugu.
The Nollywood legend, Michael Uchegbu, who was crowned as the Best Actor in a Leading Role, stole the show at the colourful event as he was almost “mobbed’ by his fans at the Hall of the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA) the venue of the investiture.
Ovation from the audience rented the air as the Nollywood Actor – Stan K. Anandi stepped up to the podium to receive the Movie Industry Impact Award. There were sounds of laughter everywhere in the hall as the event anchor – Okechukwu Okibe Esq – and the recipient exchanged pleasantries comically.
The awards presented by the Southeast Zonal Director of the Nigeria Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Mr Ebiloma Shaibu, and the Director of Jands Travel Business School- Mrs Chioma Obi were in two segments as Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State who was described as a trailblazer in governance and his Commissioner of Culture and Tourism, Dame Ugochi Madueke had at the opening of the 2-day workshop received theirs, amidst jubilation.
Other awards were:
Entrepreneurial Travel Consultant of the Year Award (Bereeth Travels & Tours Ltd, Rivers State)
Most Innovative Travel Agency Award (Folabod Travels & Tours Ltd, Rivers state)
Rising Star Travelpreneurs Award (Nnodum Udoka Lydia – Younder Travels & Tours, Imo state
Travel & Leadership Titan Award (Tina Ogechi Ifeanyi-Ogbonna (UCAN Travels & Tours Ltd, Rivers State)
Outstanding Lead Actress Award (Oge Gabriel)
Clients Choice Award for Excellence. (Ofoke Eucharia Chinyere – Gold Peggy’s Travels, Ebonyi state) …amongst others.
Earlier in his speech, Hospitalian Rasaq Dada, Chief Operating Officer of Whiteorange Hospitality, called for competent management and recruitment of tour guides, urging employers of labour to take advantage of services provided by Jands Travel Business School, Enugu.
“We are here to encourage innovation and help to influence the tourism sector’s future through our all-encompassing courses aimed at equipping trainees with the knowledge, skills and right attitude to grow and excel in the industry,” he said.
