Cape Town has won two major travel industry awards in the last 30 days, highlighting the city’s status as one of the world’s leading tourist destinations.

Cape Town was declared Africa’s best travel destination by World Travel Awards at the Travel Indaba in Durban on May 11, 2009. This is the second year in a row that the mother city has won the award.

And last month in Switzerland, Cape Town was awarded top honours in the Best Entertainment Destination category at the MeetingLuxury international luxury travel exhibition. Cape Town Tourism was in Switzerland to market the city as a luxury travel destination and 2010 FIFA World Cup host city.

The World Travel Awards, which were established in 1993, are seen as the travel industry’s Oscars. The awards are seen as one of the best endorsements for a travel product.

“This recognition is very important for Cape Town because it helps to strengthen Cape Town’s tourism competitiveness. It will also enhance the City’s important strategy to position Cape Town as a global events city,” said Mansoor Mohamed, Executive Director: Economic, Social Development and Tourism in the City of Cape Town.

He was in Durban to accept the award, along with Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariette du Toit-Helmbold.

Mohamed added that the award will also help to make Cape Town a destination of choice for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup™.

“Cape Town has built and maintained excellent tourism infrastructure. The City of Cape Town is constantly enhancing Cape Town’s tourism assets, and we are building skills and improving opportunities in our tourism sector. All of these efforts support the City’s key strategy of infrastructure-led economic growth.”

Also at the World Travel Awards, The Mount Nelson Hotel was declared Africa’s leading hotel, while Cape Town Tourism was a finalist in the Best Tourism Organisation in Africa and Best Marketing Campaign in Africa awards.

Du Toit-Helmbold said she was proud to accept the award on behalf of the tourism industry and the people of Cape Town. “It is testament to their dedication to making this city one of the world’s favourite destinations.”

Meanwhile, Du Toit-Hemold also represented Cape Town at the MeetingLuxury exhibition in Switzerland in April, where Cape Town was awarded best honours in the Best Entertainment Destination category, and met with nearly 100 travel buyers over the three days of the exhibition.

The Cape Town Tourism stand featured a backdrop of Table Mountain, with the new Green Point Stadium in the foreground.

“Our message at the exhibition was simple: Cape Town is ready to welcome the world now, during and beyond the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup™” said Du Toit-Helmbold.