World Travel Awards has revealed it will stage its prestigious Africa & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony 2014 in Abuja, Nigeria, on September 5th.

The sumptuous Transcorp Hilton Abuja will host the event, which will welcome hundreds of industry leaders to the Nigerian capital.

The Gala Ceremony will celebrate excellence in travel, tourism and hospitality in the Africa & Indian Ocean regions with industry leaders from across both regions gathering to recognise the achievements of companies in the past 12 months.

Located in the heart of Nigeria’s Federal Capital, the Transcorp Hilton Abuja hotel offers easy access to the commercial district, Abuja tourist attractions, and is only 40 minutes from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

Set on beautifully landscaped gardens, the hotel offers a wide range of leisure facilities, and is the perfect setting for the glittering red carpet ceremony.

Transcorp Hilton Abuja will mark the fourth stop on the annual World Travel Awards Grand Tour, with proceedings having kicked off at the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai earlier this month. Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso, in Athens, Greece, marks the next stop on the year-long global search for the world’s finest travel tourism organisations, on August 2nd, with Quito, Ecuador, following on August 9th.

Regional Gala Ceremonies will follow in New Delhi, India, and on the beautiful Caribbean island of Anguilla later in the year, before World Travel Awards arrives in Marrakech, Morocco, for the Grand Final 2014 in November.

WTA president Graham Cooke said: “I am delighted we will be visiting Nigeria for the first time for what promises to be the most exciting and competitive Africa & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony yet.

“Transcorp Hilton Abuja is one of the leading properties in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja; at the heart of a rapidly developing business and leisure tourism industry in the country.”

Valentine Ozigbo, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Transnational Hotels & Tourism Services, owners of Transcorp Hilton Abuja, added: “’We welcome the opportunity to host the prestigious World Travel Awards Africa & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony 2014 in our hotel.

“Coming soon after we successfully hosted the 24th World Economic Forum on Africa, the Africa & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony provides us another opportunity to showcase the best of Nigerian hospitality and reinforce the position of Transcorp Hilton Abuja as the choice destination for high profile events.”

Voting is now open for the Africa & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony. Travel industry professionals and the general public can vote for their favourite travel organisations