Maya enthrals South, yet again
The 5th India Travel Awards awarded the tourism and hospitality industry’s forerunners in South India at Clarks Exotica Convention Resort and Spa, Bengaluru
Renowned as a platform which recognises hard work and constant effort of tourism industry players in their respective regions, India Travel Awards—South brought together the who's who of the industry to a glamorous, black tie awards ceremony. Kumar Pushkar, an IFS officer and Managing Director, Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation, and the Chief Guest for the event, said, “These awards are a motivation for those who work in the field of tourism. I believe that tourism is all about sustainability and good
practices and I hope that the award winners will learn from the good work put in by their colleagues. This year, we missed the nomination date but next year, we shall make sure to file the same.” Anita Mishra, Gladrags Mrs India— Maharashtra 2018, graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour and adding to the glamour quotient of the ceremony, presented the awards alongside the dignitaries. The well-attended ceremony recorded the presence of nearly 150 people from the tourism and hospitality industry. SanJeet, Mentor, India Travel Awards,
asserted that tourism is synonymous with progress, development and opportunity and this sentiment is echoing all over the country. He believes that every small hotel, restaurant, tourist attraction and tourist shopping contributes to the growth of the industry. He said, “But, are we doing enough to recognise the players who are contributing to this growth? We have instituted these Awards to address this gap."
"The regional awards recognise those establishments which may not be able to see the light of day at the national level. Through this event, we recognise the real heroes who are constantly working to take the travel industry to the next level. This recognition that we bestow on our regional players puts the spotlight on them and we recognise their contribution and at the same time ensure that they are doing the correct thing and maintaining the high industry standards,” he said.
The awards are divided into four categories. The Personal Awards are for the legends and leaders who have established themselves and the youngsters who need the encouragement; Business Awards are for those organisations which have been outstanding in their respective fields and deserve the recognition; Trending Awards, decided by critics, are awarded to individuals who have done extraordinary work and the Partner Awards are to recognise and appreciate the partners who contribute to make the awards ceremony a grand success.
In the Personal Awards category, the Gold Maya was awarded to Sherif Salman, Chairman, Sherif Travel and Cargo Services, who entered the Gallery of Legends.
Raj Andrade, Vice President—Business Development, Marketing and Strategy, Bangalore International Airport, took home the DDP Game Changer trophy this year. Ronaldo Colaco, Owner, Clarks Exotica Convention Resort and Spa, Bengaluru and Vivek Kumar, MD, Clarks Brij Hotels, Pride Hospitality and Brijrama Hospitality, were both named the DDP Trailblazers, while Nirupa Shankar, Director, Brigade Hospitality was the Face of the Future.