Business Traveller Africa Awards finalists named

Future Group - the publishers of Business Traveller Africa magazine - in association with sponsors ExecuJet, Travelport, Gautrain, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Crowne Plaza Johannesburg - The Rosebank, are hosting the event that was launched in Sandton in 2012.

SAA picked up nominations in: the Best African Regional Short-Haul Airline, Best African Long-Haul Airline, and Best Business Class categories, whilst the airline's Baobab Business Class Lounge at OR Tambo International Airport was nominated in the Best Airport Business Lounge category.

SAA's fellow nominees in the airline categories include: Comair, Mango, Airlink, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Emirates, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, Etihad Airways and British Airways.

Best Hotel Group

In the main hotel category, the Best Hotel Group prize will be contested by Tsogo Sun, Protea Hotels, City Lodge, Sun International and Legacy Hotels & Resorts.

The Best Travel Management Company category has HRG Rennies Travel, American Express Travel Services, BCD Travel, Carlson Wagonlit and Travel with Flair up against each other.

Of the other main categories, the Best Car Rental Company has Avis, Budget Rent a Car and Europcar contesting the prize, whilst the award for Best Large Conference Venue will go to one of Sandton Convention Centre, Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre, Cape Town International Convention Centre, International Convention Centre Durban and Gallagher Convention Centre.

As with last year, Future Group and Business Traveller Africa magazine will also hand out the Travel Personality of the Year, which in 2012 went to outgoing Avis CEO Wayne Duvenage, for his role as Chairman of OUTA - the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance.

Further to the awards, Future Group will be hosting two business travel-related panel discussions at the Maslow Hotel on the day of the awards. The areas of aviation and hospitality will be covered, with Business Traveller Africa editor Dylan Rogers facilitating these discussions, which will feature leading industry experts from both areas.

The full list of nominees is as follows (in alphabetical order):

African Long-Haul Airline

• Ethiopian Airlines
  
• Kenya Airways
  
• SAA

African Regional Short-Haul Airline

• Airlink
  
• Comair (BA & Kulula)
  
• Mango
  
• SAA

Air Charter

• ExecuJet
  
• Federal Air
  
• National Airways Corporation

Airport Business Lounge

• Bidvest Premier (ORTIA)
  
• British Airways (ORTIA)
  
• SAA Baobab (ORTIA)
  
• Slow Lounge (ORTIA Domestic)
  
• Virgin Atlantic (ORTIA)

Business Class

• British Airways
  
• Emirates
  
• SAA

Business Hotel in SA

• African Pride Melrose Arch
  
• Maslow Hotel
  
• Radisson Blu Gautrain
  
• Radisson Blu Sandton
  
• Sandton Sun

Car Rental Company

• Avis
  
• Budget Rent a Car
  
• Europcar

Forex Supplier

• American Express Foreign Exchange
  
• Bidvest Bank
  
• Travelex

Hotel Group

• City Lodge Hotels
  
• Legacy Hotels & Resorts
  
• Protea Hotels
  
• Sun International
  
• Tsogo Sun

International Long-Haul Airline