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B M & T ••• January/February 2018 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 7 WORLD TOURISM AWARDS 2017 HONORED H.E. PAUL KAGAME,PRESIDENT, REPUBLIC OF RWANDA, FOR VISIONARY LEADERSHIP,CHARITY CHALLENGE, AND MICATO SAFARIS-AMERICASHAREHONORED FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AT THE EVENT H.E. Paul Kagame, president, Republic of Rwanda, was pre- sented with the 2017 World Tourism Award for visionary leader- ship in November on the opening day of World Travel Market London at Excel Centre. The other Award recipients were, Charity Challenge and Micato Safaris-AmericaShare honored for sustainable tourism. Peter Greenberg, CBS News Travel Editor, multi Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter as well as world renowned travel expert, hosted the Awards presentation. Pictured here from L to R: Bianca Pappas, director, Media Relations & Client Services, The Bradford Group, Organizer of World Tourism Awards; Taleb Rifai, secretary-gen- eral, The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNW- TO); Patrick Falconer, executive director UK, The New York Times; Dennis Pinto, managing direc- tor, Micato Safaris; Simon Albert, founder & director, Charity Challenge; H.E. Paul Kagame, president, the Republic of Rwanda; Peter Greenberg, CBS News, travel editor; Jeannette Gilbert, head of Marketing & Communications, World Travel Market; Matthew Dixon, commercial director, Corinthia Hotels; Karen Hoffman, president, The Bradford Group. The World Tourism Awards, celebrating its 20th Anniversary, are co-sponsored by Corinthia Hotels, The New York Times, and Reed Travel Exhibitions. Inaugurated in 1997, the World Tourism Awards were established to recognize "individuals, com- panies, organizations, destinations and attractions for outstanding initiatives related to the travel and tourism industry, and in fostering sustainable tourism and developing programs that give back to local communities." Presenting the Awards on behalf of the sponsors were: Matthew Dixon, commercial director, Corinthia Hotels; Patrick Falconer, executive director – UK, The New York Times; and rep- resenting Reed Travel Exhibitions, Jeanette Gilbert, head of Marketing & Communications, World Travel Market. Guest speak- er at the Awards Ceremony was Taleb Rifai, secretary-general, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The World Tourism Award for Visionary Leadership was pre- sented to H.E. Paul Kagame, in recognition of "his visionary leadership though a policy of rec- onciliation, sustainable tourism, wildlife conservation, and econom- ic development attracting major hotel investment, resulting in the remarkable turnaround that has led to Rwanda's rise as one of the leading tourism destinations in Africa today." Charity Challenge was honored, in recognition "for creating, manag- ing, and delivering international fundraising expeditions across 6 continents and 38 countries, which over the last 18 years have inspired tens of thousands of people to raise more than £50mil- lion for 1,800 charities, as well as themselves donating close to £500,000 to community projects." The third honoree, Micato Safaris-AmericaShare, was in recog- nition "for its philanthropic work that has improved the lives of thou- sands of orphaned and vulnerable African children through the gift of education, including the Micato One for One Commitment, which sends a child to school for every safari sold." The Award ceremony was followed by a reception and a special performance by The National Ballet of Rwanda, Urukerereza. The World Tourism Award itself, Inspire, was specially designed and handcrafted on the Mediterranean Island of Malta by Mdina Glass, and celebrates the qualities of leadership and vision that inspire others to reach new heights. 5,000 meeting professionals, has the potential to bring major International Association business to the city and region. "It is essential that we, as PCOs, are kept up-to-date with developments, facilities and benefits that will assist us in mak- ing key recommendations for our clients," said Jan Tonkin, President of IAPCO. "We are extremely excited about this col- laboration and look forward to working closely with this vibrant and forward thinking city". "Rio de Janeiro, as well as a post card from Brazil to the world, has great potential to receive international events from various spheres and has recently proved to have great organ- izing capacity to host world events", commented Vinícius Lummertz, president of Embratur. "The title received by the city is an acknowledgment of the entity for years of profession- al efforts of the Carioca trade. The co-operation agreement signed between the Rio Convention & Visitors Bureau and IAPCO will be very important to consolidate Rio de Janeiro's capital as a protagonist of the Event Tourism segment in South America." For further information, please contact: IAPCO Head Office: Brambles House, Colwell Road, Freshwater, PO40 9SL, UK. Email: info@iapco.org