This year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) will see the unveiling of the first-ever MENA Travel Awards on May 6 at the  Al Bustan Rotana Hotel in Dubai.

Created to celebrate the skill, creativity, ingenuity and success of the Middle East and North Africa’s growing travel industry, there will be 57 winners in this especially-devised awards show.
“It is very important to recognise real talent and superior service in our industry to stimulate even higher standards and to applaud the effort made by so many,” says Sam Saker, regional VP, Renard Hospitality, and president of Consultants of Hospitality Administrators (CHA), who are organising the awards. “That is why we have very carefully designed the MENA Travel Awards to follow very specific procedures to ensure they are first class and have real merit.”
Three winners –  Platinum, Gold and Silver, – will be declared in each of the 18 categories at a special gala dinner before an audience of 500 top industry figures.
The 18 award categories cover four- and five-star hotels, airlines, spas, golf courses, car rentals, duty free, conference and convention centres and tourism projects. Entrants must have been operating for 12 months prior to the entry deadline (March 26), although hotel soft openings between January-April 2003 and tourism projects operating since June 2003 would be eligible. It was also possible to enter more than one category as there are several awards that suit multifaceted candidates.
At the time of going to press, more than 200 entries had been received.