VENUE INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONALS, INC. EARNS THE 2012 APEX AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE IN HERITAGE TOURISM
In May 2012, VIP received the APEX Award for Distinguished Service in the area of Heritage Tourism. This prestigious award is presented by Black Meetings and Tourism Magazine to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their particular field of endeavor, which have positively impacted the travel and tourism industry in the area of Heritage Tourism. Venue International Professionals, Inc. was recognized by Black Meetings and Tourism Magazine for its twenty-plus years in the travel and tourism industry and its ability to successfully establish several long-term business partnerships all across the African Continent by consistently promoting and maintaining a high level of business integrity with its African counterparts.
Venue International Professionals, Inc. (VIP) was established in 1996 in order to provide travel and tourism consultative services as well as coordinate independent, family and/or group tours to various destinations on the African Continent each year. This includes the design of travel itineraries, negotiations with airline and ground transportation service providers, selection of hotels and lodging accommodations, procuring tour operators as well as facilitating the obtainment of travel vouchers to include visas and immunization records. VIP also provides additional travel and tourism research on health, safety and security matters at selected African destinations on an as needed basis.
VIP has gained considerable experience and expertise in the travel and tourism industry of Africa which has enabled it to strategically position itself to provide highly customized marketing, sales and technical assistance services in the travel and tourism industry for the Continent of Africa to its many clients. VIP, for the past fifteen years has organized various tour groups in the African countries of Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe as well as throughout several tourism destinations in North America and the Caribbean Islands, Europe, Asia, Australia, Central and South America.
In 1997, Helen Broadus was awarded the prestigious Founder’s Award for her exemplary service to the Africa Travel Association and in 1999 she received the prestigious Intercontinental Hotel Group’s Award for her significant contributions to the promotion of travel and tourism opportunities to West Africa. It should also be noted that Venue International Professionals, Inc. was the first small business to receive this special recognition. In 1999, David J. Saunders received the Africa Travel Association’s prestigious Outstanding Leadership Award for his exemplary contributions and service to the organization. In 2005, he received the Africa Travel Association’s prestigious Founders’ Award for his continued exemplary contributions and service to the ATA organization.
Both Helen and David’s passion for Mother Africa has inspired many of their business associates and clients to value Venue International Professionals, Inc. Because of this and so much more, Black Meetings and Tourism Magazine was truly honored and pleased to recognize Venue International Professionals, Inc. with the 2012 APEX Award for outstanding services over twenty years in the African travel and tourism industry and wish them both many more years of continued blessings!