The Service Excellence Foundation, under the auspices of the Ghana Tourism Foundation, an affiliate member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), has honoured Ghana’s High Commissioner to Malta, H.E. Barbara Akoukor Benisa, with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Service to Tourism and Customer Service Excellence Leadership at the maiden Industry and Customer Service Excellence Awards.

The Customer Service Excellence Awards was established to recognize and appreciate outstanding individuals, locally and internationally, who champion Service Excellence in their respective fields, especially the tourism and hospitality industry.

Ghana’s High Commissioner to Malta, H.E. Barbara Akoukor Benisa, who has over three decades of experience in customer service, public relations, administration and management spanning diverse institutions and particularly in the Airline industry, was honoured for her contributions to customer service development advocacy to enhance tourism and hospitality private sector growth.

Her citation read, “Congratulations on the occasion of the 1st Industry Customer Service Excellence Awards 2023. The Tourism and Hospitality Industry celebrates your outstanding achievements as a Customer Service Woman of Excellence”.

In the global celebration of Customer Service Week 2023, H.E Benisa, during a courtesy call on the Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Mr. Samuel Awuku, joined the Staff of the Authority to mark Career Day in celebration of the respective customers who interact with them.

Traditionally, NLA celebrates Customer Service all month long in October to appreciate its external and internal customers with exciting activities that foster team bonding, unity and growth among Staff.

High Commissioner Benisa encouraged the Customer Service Team to take their roles seriously as customer interactions positively or negatively affect the organization. 

Citing the quote by Maya Angelou, which says, “People will forget what you did.  People will forget what you said, but People will never forget how you made them feel.” H.E. Benisa urged the Customer Service team to endeavour to always leave smiles on the faces of their customers. 

H.E Benisa was also taken on a tour of the premises of the National Lottery Authority to visit some Departments.  

Prior to the NLA’s 60th-anniversary celebration last year, H.E. Benisa was instrumental in facilitating a trip by the NLA Governing Board and Management to Malta to invite the Maltese Government and the Malta Gaming Authority to the anniversary celebration. 

She also facilitated a visit to the Maltese House of Representatives, where the speaker, Hon. Anġlu Farrugia, presented the original copy of NLA’s 1962 Registration Certificate that established NLA to the Director General, Mr. Samuel Awuku.