The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife through the Kenya Tourism Awards (KTA) has announced a list of Kenyans nominated for the Tourism Personality of the Year 2024.
KTA is an initiative designed to celebrate and recognize excellence in Kenya’s tourism and hospitality industry.
The initiative was developed to honour individuals, organizations, and businesses that have made significant contributions to the growth, development, and promotion of tourism in Kenya.
Among this year’s nominees include journalist Alex Chamwada, and Bonfire Adventures Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Simon Kabu.
Other nominees include Ogweyo Peter Ogalo, Lornah Wambui, Prof Ray Mutinda, Captain Joyce Beckwith, and Daniel Mbugua.
Ann Tumpesia, Jennifer Waruingi, Bishamba Hamisi Juma, Judith Lagat- Tanchu, Julius Owino, Mark Steve, have also been nominated.
Alex Chamwada and Simon Kabu nominated
Plucked from international media newsrooms CNN, Voice of America and BBC, Alex Chamwada has dipped his over 20 years of journalism experience into merging new media and the mainstream media.
The veteran journalist has united several households with his inspiring stories of Kenyans in diaspora on his show Daring Abroad which has been of huge success.
Before founding Daring Abroad, Chamwada had worked for various stations in Kenya which include KBC, Royal Media Services, KTN and NTV where he gained experience and knowledge as a TV producer.
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On his part, Simon Kabu is the CEO and founder of one of Kenya’s leading tour company Bonfire Adventures.
From being a tout to a CEO, Kabu’s growth story as an entrepreneur has inspired many within and outside the country.
Simon began his illustrious career as a regional sales head at Unga Group Limited. It was during this time that he conceived the idea of starting up the tour company.
Simon Kabu, and his ex-wife Sarah were assigned to coordinate an end year party in 2007 with the success of that event seeing them selected again to organize another one in 2008.
However, when the payment time came, the company decided to pay them via a cheque and asked them to provide the name of their company.
Bonfire Adventures was born at that time while they were in Maasai Mara, sitting around a bonfire.
Gradually, Bonfire Adventures started growing into a tour company and signed several clients. They resigned from their jobs to concentrate sufficiently on the company’s affairs.
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A decade down the line, the company grew and became one of the best tour companies in Kenya and Africa.
Captain Smiles nominated for KTA Tourism Personality of the Year 2024
Captain Joyce Beckwith is the world’s first licensed black female Hot air Balloon pilot.
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The 36-year-old Captain affectionately known as Captain Smiles earned her license in 2018 at the acclaimed Airborne Heat Balloon Flying School in New Mexico.
Beckwith, who first flew in a hot air balloon as a passenger in 2008, fell in love and began commercial flying in 2019.
In a past interview, she revealed that she was inspired by her husband and his family who are balloonists, adding that they opened the door for her into a world of hot air balloons.
“As I took hundreds of flights over Maasai Mara, I was always inspired by the art of flying balloons, the approach and respect for nature, and the engineering of the aircraft itself,” she told Travel Noire.
“There was just something about the smiles and excitement of the passengers during a balloon safari.”
In addition to flying hot air balloons, Captain Smiles is an experienced safari and travel consultant.
Beckwith and other nominees will be looking forward to winning the prestigious KTA Tourism Personality of the Year 2024 prize which aims to inspire continued innovation and excellence within the sector, fostering a competitive spirit that drives the industry forward.
To participate in the voting, one can access the list of nominees through the KTA website.
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