KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has congratulated Durban and Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC) for scooping major awards at the World Travel Awards held in Dubai.
The ICC walked away with Africa's Leading Meetings and Conference Centre and Africa’s Leading Festival and Event Destination Awards, beating the likes of Accra (Ghana), Lagos (Nigeria), Marrakech (Morocco), Nairobi (Kenya), Zanzibar (Tanzania), Kigali (Rwanda), Cape Town and Johannesburg in both awards.
The glittering 30th World Travel Awards, held on Sunday, marked seven years on the trot since Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, has been winning this award back-to-back from 2017.
The World Travel Awards are regarded as the most prestigious event in the global travel calendar, attended by the industry's key decision-makers, influencers and media. They serve to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry.
Dube-Ncube said the awards are a great vote of confidence by the global travel and tourism sector in KZN province, the City of Durban, and the Durban International Convention Centre facility.
“We appreciate this honour but importantly value the sterling and untiring work put in by our entity, KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau for continuously attracting business events to our province. Such achievements are not a given nor come to us for free, we have to work hard to achieve them” Dube-Ncube said.
The Premier also noted with excitement that in the 23-year history of Africa’s Leading Meetings and Conference Centre Award category, the Durban ICC has won this title for the 18th time.
“This vote of confidence by the World Travel Awards organisation in the Durban ICC is as bold and significant as the establishment of the Durban International Convention Centre itself. During the formative years of our democracy the city’s fathers took a daring and futuristic view of making the Convention Centre one of the single largest investments in the future growth and development of the city.
“Today we are reaping the rewards of such decisions. Naming it after Africa’s first Nobel Laureate, Inkosi Albert Luthuli is indicative of the global stature of this facility. Hosting these awards in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli ICC will be a befitting tribute to the vision of our forebears,” the Premier said. – SAnews.gov.za
