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Joburg Tourism scores big at the World
Travel Awards
PRESS RELEASE
11 May 2009
 The
Joburg Tourism Company (JTC) has been
named by the World Travel Awards as Africa’s
leading City Tourist Board, while the
CEO, Lindiwe Mahlangu, received the Africa
Travel Personality of the year award.
The awards were held in Durban, at the
Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre.
CEO of the Joburg Tourism
Company (JTC), Lindiwe Mahlangu, says
the awards are a thumbs-up to the company’s
efforts and innovations around positioning
and entrenching Joburg as Africa’s premier
Business ,Events and Sports tourism destination.
“I am extremely happy
with this recognition as it is an indication
that the industry recognises our efforts.
We are absolutely committed to aggressively
elevate the Joburg brand beyond the gold
history by continuously showcasing its
attractive and dynamic creative industry
and rich culture & heritage. Joburg
definitely has much, much more to offer
both to the business traveller and the
leisure tourist,” says Mahlangu.
According to JTC, the awards come at
a time when the company has just rolled
out its FIFA Confederations Cup and World
Cup Brand Activation campaign billed ‘score
in the city with the golden touch’ to
which Joburg will be the biggest host.”
 “Our
focus is optimum leverage of our status
as the World cup hub by offering world
class experience to our locals and visitors
so that they appreciate our dominant status
as the biggest hosts of FIFA’s most prestigious
events. We want to show everyone that
not only are we leaders when it comes
to business tourism through our various
world class facilities, but also that
we have a rich cultural heritage that
attracts a lot of leisure tourism to this
city.” Comments Mahlangu: “The challenge
now is to ensure that we retain our leading
position. I always tell my team that getting
to the top is not as hard as maintaining
your stay there because your competitors
use you as a benchmark and start gunning
for you. However, I am encouraged by the
fact that we have some of the best minds
in this city and people are always willing
to roll up their sleeves.”
Asked about being named Africa’s Travel
Personality of the year, Mahlangu comments:
It is a big honour, considering the calibre
of people in this industry. As cliché
as this may sound, I really did not expect
to win this award, but I am happy and
fully attribute it to my team. A leader
is as good as his/her team”.
The World Travel Awards were established
in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate
the enormous achievements in all sectors
of the global industry. Travel professionals
and their clients regard the awards as
the best endorsement that any travel product
could receive. Globally it is considered
the Oscars of the Travel Industry.
Concludes Mahlangu: “I look forward
to retaining these awards next year”.
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