Lagos - Protea Hotels is African Hotel Chain of the Year 2014, it was announced at the 10th Akwaaba African Travel Market in Lagos, Nigeria, on Sunday.
The awards, made by West Africa’s travel trade magazine African Travel Quarterly, form part of the travel expo’s opening ceremony and winners are chosen through a process of public voting, according to publisher Ikechi Uko.
The Akwaaba African Travel Market is one of the largest in Africa.
Danny Bryer, director of sales, marketing and revenue for Protea Hotels, said the award is particularly gratifying given that so many readers of African Travel Quarterly are based in West Africa – one of the brand’s largest expansion areas.
“Nigeria as Africa’s largest economy is particularly important to the Protea Hotels brand. We currently have 11 hotels in the country and we hope to double that presence in the next five years,” said Bryer.
“But it’s not only Nigeria that’s a vital market. The first Protea Hotel is currently under construction in Takoradi in Ghana, and we hope to expand into other West African nations in the medium term as well."
He said this region is a vital growth node for African hospitality, because it is prosperous, it has rich resources and a growing manufacturing and technology sector that is positioning it to become a major competitor in the global market.
- Fin24