VICTORIA FALLS, Zimbabwe, June 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Kilimanjaro International Airport takes top spot for second year running 

Kilimanjaro International Airport has been crowned overall winner of the Routes Africa Marketing Awards for the second year running. The winners of the 4^th regional heat of the Routes Marketing Awards were announced last night during the Routes Africa Networking Evening which took place against a stunning backdrop on the Golf Course of the Elephant Hills Hotel & Resort.

Speaking just after receiving the award Mattijs Smith, Managing Director of Kilimanjaro Airport said: "We are very delighted and proud to win the overall Routes Africa award for the second year in a row.  This award is a true recognition by our airline customers for strengthening our existing routes and achieving a record growth of 24% in traffic in 2013."

The annual Routes awards are highly regarded as the most prestigious awards in the industry as they are voted for and judged by the airline network planning community. They provide the airline community with the chance to have their say as to which airport or tourism authority they think provides the best overall marketing services to them whether this relates to their particular relationship, effective results, provision of data and information or innovative techniques to establish new or maintain and develop existing routes.

Katie Bland, Director Routes for UBM Live commented: "We were delighted with the high level of submissions and congratulate all those that were nominated, those recognised as Highly Commended by the panel of judges and of course all of the section winners. Kilimanjaro International Airport has once again shown how seriously it takes network development and their submission included examples of their marketing material and their dedication to improving routes to their airport."

As overall winner of this regional heat, Kilimanjaro International Airport will be automatically shortlisted for the World Routes Marketing Awards which will be announced in Chicago this September. Kilimanjaro joins Tampa International Airport, Abu Dhabi International Airport and City Airport Bremen who were announced as overall winners of the Americas, Asia and Europe heats respectively, earlier in the year.

Kilimanjaro was also named as the winner from the Under 4 million passengers category, with Durban King Shaka International Airport honoured from the Over 4 million passengers category and Madagascar Tourism Board ranked top in the Destination Marketing Category.

The shortlisted finalists were nominated by airlines and a respected panel of judges, made up of senior members of the airline network planning community from the region, then reviewed the lists and submissions from the nominated airports, in order to determine the winners. The panel consisted of the following experts:

Mrs. Rosemary Ramakagapola, Network Planning Analyst, South African Airways                  

Mr. Richard Bodin, Chief Commercial Officer, Fastjet

Mr. Jonay Lobo Torres, Revenue Management, Binter Canaries

Miss Cynthia Jepkemboi, Senior Strategic Planning Analyst, Kenya Airways

A complete list of companies shortlisted under each award category is below:

Over 4 Million Passengers

Durban King Shaka International Airport- Winner

Casablanca Mohammed V Airport- Highly Commended

Addis Ababa Bole Airport

Cape Town International Airport

Under 4 Million Passengers 

Kilimanjaro International Airport- Winner & Overall Winner

Antananarivo Ivato International Airport- Highly Commended

Julius Nyerere International Airport

Maputo International Airport

Sikhuphe International Airport

Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport

Destination Marketing Award  

Madagascar Tourism Board- Winner

Ministry of tourism of Mozambique

São Tomé and Príncipe Tourism Board

Tanzania Tourist Board

Tourism KwaZulu-Natal

Notes to Editors 

About Routes 

• Routes organises world-renowned airline and airport networking events through its regional and global Route Development Forums. Each year, there is one global event and one regional event in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas and CIS respectively. http://www.routesonline.com
• Routes was founded in 1995 as part of the Manchester UK‐based ASM Ltd., a consultancy specialising in the field of route development for airports. http://www.asm-global.com. Routes and ASM are part of the UBM Live division of UBM plc.
• UBM Live connects people and creates opportunities for companies across five continents to develop new business, meet customers, launch new products, promote their brands and expand their markets.  Through premiere brands such as MD&M, CPhI, IFSEC, TFM&A, Cruise Shipping Miami, the Concrete Show, the Routes portfolio of events, Airport Cities and many others, UBM Live exhibitions, conferences, awards programs, publications, websites and training and certification programs are an integral part of the marketing plans of companies across more than 20 industry sectors. http://www.ubmlive.com

Follow us on twitter: @Routesonline, @TheHUBRoutes, @VictoriaRoutes, @NLPROU, @airlineroute

About UBM plc 

• UBM plc is a global events-led marketing services and communications company.  We help businesses do business, bringing the world's buyers and sellers together at events and online, as well as producing and distributing news and specialist content.  Our 5,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into expert teams which serve commercial and professional communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.
• For more information, go to http://www.ubm.com; follow us on Twitter at @UBM_plc to get the latest UBM corporate news; follow @UBM for news from all UBM's businesses; follow @UBM for a flavour of UBM from selected members of UBM's Twitterati.

SOURCE UBM Live Routes Ltd