ZAINAB JUNAID
The Inter-ministerial committee of National Tourism Transportation Summit Awards, NTTS, has announced Mr. Wale Olapade, Nigerian Tribune Tourism Editor as the winner of Outstanding Tourism Advocate Award.
This was contained in a letter signed by the Chairman of the Committee-NTT Summit 2024 and National President, Institute for Tourism Professionals, Chief Abiodun Odusanwo, Ref:ITPN/NTTS-A/24/NTAD/03 and dated November 25, 2024.
According to the letter the award will be conferred on the multiple award winner at the forthcoming 2024 NTT Summit, scheduled to take place in Abuja on Wednesday, December 4, 2024.
The letter reads, “On behalf of the Steering and Selection Committee of the 7th National Tourism Transportation Summit Awards, it gives me great pleasure to inform you that you have been chosen for the 2024 National Tourism Transportation Summit “Outstanding Tourism Advocate Award”. Congratulations!
“Your nomination and final selection were carefully considered among others in the industry by the Steering and Selection Committee, upon which you have been chosen based on your achievements and demonstration of high level of excellence and standards in travel tourism, transportation, and hospitality sectors of the Nigerian economy.
The award was established over six years ago as the crowning and rounding up event of the National Tourism Transportation Summit and Expo to celebrate achievements of organisations and individuals within the industry and related sectors.
It became an avenue for Stakeholders, Key-players and the entire value chain of the tourism and transportation industries to resolve salient issues, relax and network after the two days Summit of Discussions and Expositions.
The widely travelled international and domestic responsible tourism advocate through his specialized Travelpulse and MICE column has won numerous tourism accolades which include Award of Excellence: Youth Tourism Club of Nigeria, University of Ibadan-2009;Travellinks Merit Award: Travellinks International Tourism Magazine-2013; Adamu Mu’azu Prize for Tourism Reporter-Winner Nigerian Media Merit Award (NMMA)-2014; MICE Journalist of the Year Nigeria-2017-ATQ Magazine; Outstanding leadership Award in youth Tourism promotion- StayUp Aviation-2017 and MICE Journalist of the Year West Africa-2018-ATQ-Magazine.
He was one of the five industry tourism Editors selected nationwide for the first Fatima Garbati Foundation special grant for journalists category.
He has been inducted into pioneer club of Top 100 Tourism Personalities in Nigeria, Abuja Jabamah 2018; Doctor of philosophy (Phd) in Travels and Tour Management-2018-Stayup Aviation; Best Tourism Journalist-Nigeria Tourism Awards, BALEARICA Awards 2020); Nominee Travel Reporter of the Year Jumia Travel Award-2018; Cross River State Media Personality Award of Carnival Calabar -2021; Inducted into NANTA Media Hall of Fame for contributing to travel Industry in Nigeria-2021 and Best NANTA Travel Print Media Awardee 2021.
