Enugu state governor Peter Mbah has 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.
The 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 individuals who had dedicated their efforts in 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 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.”
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, 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 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.
The 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.