Tourism minister Najib Balala joins 10 other Africa ministers for the chance to win the African Tourism Minister of the Year Award.His name is contained in a shortlist announced by the International Pan-African investment group, Africa Investor (Ai) for its annual Tourism Investor Awards for 2008.Five other Kenyan entities have also been short-listed for various categories of awards.They include: Tourism Trust (TTF) in the category of Best Initiative in Facilitating SME Tourism Investment, Kenya Airways (Best Airline), Eagle Africa Insurance Brokers (Business Travel Insurer), Ol Malo Eco-Lodge and Trust (Sustainable Tourism Investment) and Nairobi City (Tourism Investor City of the Year)."These awards are Africa’s only initiative designed to recognise the achievement of those businesses, governments, organisations and individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the growth of sustainable tourism investment in Africa," Ministry of Tourism spokesman Gakunga Mwangi quoted Prof Geoffrey Lipman, Assistant Secretary at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation as saying, in a statement to the media.Prof Lipman is chair of the Awards’ judging panel.The Awards will be presented at a Gala ceremony on February 27 at the Joachim Chissano Conference Centre in Maputo, Mozambique.It will coincide with the African Investor Summit that will be opened by the Mozambican President Armando Guebuza.According to a dispatch from Africa Investor, this year’s shortlist boasts an impressive array of Pan African tourism projects and profiles and the extensive initiatives being taken by Africa’s public sector and international private investors.Commenting on the shortlist, the Vice Chairman of African Investor, Hubert Danso said that Sub-Saharan African travel and tourism capital investments was estimated at US$ 20.4 billion in 2008 and by 2018 should reach US$ 42.6bn."As in any region, travel and tourism acts as a catalyst for construction and manufacturing and these wards will recognise those organisations pioneering such projects," said Mr Danso.The highly competitive African Tourism Minister of the Year category has entries from Africa leading ministers including Balala (Kenya), Shamsa Mwangunga (Tanzania), Nandi-Ndaitwah (Namibia), Marthinus Van Schalkwyk (South Africa) winner in 2008, Fernando Sumbana Jr (Mozambique), Mohammed Boussaid (Morocco), Khelil Lajimi (Tunisia) and Charles Xavier Luc Duval of Mauritius.There is stiff competition between African and international investors for the awards, Mr Gakunga, said.The Best Initiative in Facilitating SME Tourism Investment Awards sees Kenya’s TTF challenging South Africa Industrial Development Corporation, the Dubai World and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).Kenya Airways will compete for the Best Airline of the Year Award against last year’s winner, Emirates together with Virgin Atlantic Airways and South African Airways.The host sponsors of the event are the Mozambican Government, the UNWTO, African Travel Channel, New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD), South Africa Direct TV and the NEPAD Business Group among others.Mr Balala has been criss-crossing Kenya’s traditional tourists markets, marketing the country as best tourist destination as the country tries to recover from effects of the 2008 post-election violence. Kenya has also been trying to boost tourist numbers from non-traditional areas including Eastern Europe and Far East.