Johannesburg Tourism Supports and Celebrates Inaugural Soweto Tourism Awards
The Johannesburg Tourism Company was delighted to be joining tourism industry stakeholders and peers to celebrate and support the inaugural Soweto Tourism Awards on the evening of Friday, 3 February, at the Soweto Theatre. 300 people, including guests and nominees, were expected to attend the event to recognise and reward excellence in Soweto’s tourism community.
“The Soweto Tourism Awards are Soweto’s premier tourism event established to pay tribute to the enormous contribution made by the Soweto Tourism Association’s operators and service providers to the tourism industry,” says Thato Mothopeng, Chairperson of the Soweto Tourism Association, established in 2017. “We have 75 nominees and over 30 000 public votes for the winner in each of 20 categories.”
“In addition to rewarding the role played by tourism product and service owners in the improvement of the economy of Soweto and the country at large, we also want to encourage excellence within the industry,” added the incoming MMC for Economic Development at the City of Johannesburg, Cllr Nomoya Mnisi.
The awards are a submission and inspection-based programme that provides the opportunity to publicly acknowledge Soweto’s finest tourism products. Covering 20 categories – ranging from accommodation and attractions to MESE, restaurants, arts and culture – the awards recognise growth in tourism products. They are based on businesses having a solid business plan, continually innovating their offering and contributing significantly to their community.
Purpose of the Soweto Tourism Awards
➢ Publicly recognise and reward excellence throughout the Soweto tourism industry.
➢ Promote a benchmark for industry best practices.
➢ Support improved planning development and internal analysis of tourism businesses.
➢ Provide an annual platform of industry celebration and networking opportunities for tourism, sponsorship and supporters.
➢ Encourage continual raising of standards among Soweto tourism players through accreditation and certification.
➢ Emphasise consumer confidence and industry pride in Soweto tourism products.
➢ Reinforce the value of Soweto’s multi-million-rand contribution to the South African tourism industry.
Award Categories include:
➢ Premier’s Award
➢ Majors Award
➢ Honorary Award
➢ Events
➢ Restaurants
➢ Camping
➢ Tour Operators
➢ Pubs / Shebeens
➢ Arts and Crafts
➢ Youth in Tourism
➢ Attractions
➢ Tourism Experience
➢ Urban Lifestyle
➢ Tour Guiding
