Greg Bows presented with the 2015 Young Leader Award at IHIF
The International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC), in partnership with the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF), presented Greg Bows of African Impact with the 2015 Young Leader Award on 3 March. Celebrating its seventh year, the award recognizes the outstanding contribution to the industry by a young hospitality leader.
Greg, recognized for his contribution to responsible tourism, is the Co-Founder and Managing Director for African Impact, the largest responsible tourism and volunteer travel organization in Africa. The group has placed over 14,000 volunteers across 94 projects and strives to have local community support and ownership of each assignment. Greg, a UK national, co-founded the organization at the age of 18 following a period of travel around Africa. His role ranges from setting the company vision and running daily operations to ensuring that African Impact attracts people from across the globe that want to make a difference through volunteer travel.
On being announced winner, Bows said: "Winning this award has left me both humbled and thrilled. Aside from the personal honor, this award is an important recognition of the volunteer travel industry. In building African Impact over the last decade and helping shape responsible tourism through this, I am confident in the power that volunteer travel can have in generating positive change globally. To be acknowledged by an industry forum as influential as the IHIF is hugely gratifying and very exciting".
Andrea Belfanti, Executive Director, ISHC, said: "Even as this is the seventh year ISHC has partnered with IHIF to present this award, the nominees still astonish me. They are outstanding young leaders in the hospitality industry. This year's winner, Greg Bows, is a shining example of why we continue to make this award a priority. He has passion and drive that is rarely seen. I am honored to have Greg as this year's winner".
Andrew Connolly, co-founder, African Impact said; "Using Greg's passion for providing amazing experiences to tourists in the hospitality world and making tourism a real force for social change, African Impact has been a true success. Greg's commitment and effort should be rewarded which is why I nominated him for this award".
Candidates eligible for nomination for the IHIF Young Leader Award must be under 35 years of age, work in a hospitality-related field, have completed a significant project for their hotel/organization and be recognized by leaders of their hotel/organization as an emerging leader.
African Impact is the largest volunteering organisation in Africa employing over 170 people between Cape Town and Nairobi. The group have currently placed over 14,000 volunteers across 94 projects in Africa. The company continuously ensures that African Impact attracts people from across the world to experience volunteer travel. For more information please visit http://www.africanimpact.com.
About ISHC
The International Society of Hospitality Consultants is truly The Leading Global Resource for Hospitality Expertise, represented by over two hundred and fifty of the industry’s most respected professionals from across six continents. Collectively, ISHC members provide expert services in over fifty functional areas and have specialized skills in virtually every segment of the hospitality industry. ISHC is dedicated to promoting the highest quality of professional consulting standards and practices for the hospitality industry. Candidates undergo a rigorous screening process, ensuring that all ISHC members have a reputation of integrity and are qualified by their experience, training, and knowledge to develop and express sound judgment on industry issues. Additional information about the organization and membership process, along with a directory of ISHC members, is available on the ISHC website at ishc.com.