FRIDAY November 4, 2022
By Adam Ihucha
The Tranquility News Correspondent, Tanzania
Alice Jacob Manupa, a young female tour operator from Tanzania has won the top Africa 100 Women in Travel and Tourism Personality of the year 2022.
Alice, who is the CEO of the African Queen Adventures, becomes the first Tanzanian lady to win such a prestigious continental award, raising the East African natural-resource rich country’s profile high.
On October 31, 2022, Alice joined the African stars in travel, tourism and hospitality at the red-carpet reception in Lagos, Nigeria, to receive the annual honour of the Akwaaba African Travel Awards as winner of top 100 travel and tourism personalities in Africa.
Akwaaba African Travel Market, an international travel, tourism and hospitality platform, is one of the continent’s top five travel occasions and the leading tourism marketing forum in West Africa, which has attracted exhibitors from over 20 countries over the years.
“Alice Jacob Manupa, the CEO of African Queen Adventures from Tanzania is honoured for having emerged winner of the 2022 edition of Africa 100 Travel Women Awards,” the organisers said.
The coveted Africa 100 Travel and Tourism Award that recognises exceptional women in the industry, involved African women from 20 countries who have excelled in tourism leadership, travel and tours, aviation, hospitality, conservation and media, among others.
“I thank God for his all-round blessings because without his hand, I wouldn’t be able to seat with the legends of travel and tourism industry in Africa. I dedicate this award to all women in Africa who are struggling to do something for the tourism industry,” Alice told The Tranquility News in an exclusive interview.
“I’m exceedingly happy because this is the second prize this year after winning the Tanzania National Parks Innovation Award in October.
“This is my first time at continental level to take home such an ultimate accolade. I’m truly humbled to be among the Africa’s cream of service providers in the travel and tourism industry,” the delighted Alice said.
Alice is a modern lady whose personality and bearing have shaped the Tanzania’s multi-billion-dollar tourism in her brief stint in the industry.
No wonder, the African Queen Adventures performed extremely well among its peers in stimulating domestic and global tourism amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company’s ‘Women-Only Travel’ package, which is strategically designed to harness a women niche in the tourism market, saw a flock of both domestic and foreign female tourists in Tanzania’s national parks regardless of the dreadful pandemic.
Alice, the brain behind the innovation, is also recognised for playing a critical role in aiding the country’s tourism industry to rebound in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, leapfrogging other businesses, recouping thousands of lost jobs and generating revenue for the economy.
“Alice is a sort of business persons who keep low profile, but she is one of the vibrant young female CEOs of our times. She’s effectively run her business through the storms of the pandemic, she deserves a standing ovation,” a high-ranking Tanzania National Parks official said on condition of anonymity as he is not a spokesperson.
She is among few entrepreneurs, who believed the COVID-19 was a blessing in disguise. To her, the pandemic came with a golden opportunity for redefining gender balance in the tourism industry.
Indeed, from the onset, the African Queen Adventures CEO had worked extremely hard to build a responsible business that leaves a positive footprint in Tanzania.
Alice and her husband Joseph Julius Lyimo have become leaders in sustainability, integrating social and environmental best practices into every aspect of the business, giving back to the people and places hosting them.
The African Queen Adventures offers tailor-made safaris in Tanzania that bring the safari dreams to life. The travel outfit is credited for showing tourists not only the famous natural wonders of the country, but also the hidden treasures.
African Queen Adventures takes travellers from the best wildlife spots in northern Tanzania to the raw authentic wilderness in the south and from the top of the Mount Kilimanjaro to the endless stretches of white sandy beaches in tropical ZanzibarΩ
