Entries are open for the prestigious New Zealand Tourism Awards, and the competition is expected to be fierce as innovation abounds in the booming travel industry.
The New Zealand Tourism Awards 2018 celebrate individuals and organisations that are fast-tracking the industry towards its Tourism 2025, $41 billion revenue goal.
“Tourism is New Zealand’s largest export industry, with earnings exceeding all forecasts. That growth is being supported by outstanding performance from operators across the country and we encourage them to enter,” says Chris Roberts, Chief Executive of Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) which runs the Awards.
“These are the industry’s premier awards and the winners provide a benchmark of excellence and inspiration to other tourism businesses.
“There are many benefits to entering, and for our winners there will be a generous package of prizes. The Air New Zealand Supreme Tourism Award winner will receive a prize valued at over $20,000, which includes $10,000 in air travel and a full-page advertisement in Kia Ora magazine.”
Mr Roberts says there is a range of individual awards for tourism industry leaders of all levels of experience, plus awards that recognise business excellence and awards for marketing, Maori tourism, environmental excellence, and an award that recognises organisations that have partnered with others to successfully maximise their tourism industry impact and results.
Ryan Sanders, founder of Haka Tourism Group, which won the 2017 Air New Zealand Supreme Tourism Award, says that winning the award was fantastic for his business.
“As a growth-oriented brand with big ambitions, winning the Supreme Award has really put us in the spotlight and facilitated some terrific partnerships that will propel us even faster towards our goals,” says Mr Sanders.
The winners will be announced at a gala Awards Dinner in Christchurch on 6 September 2018.
The awards are run by TIA, with Award Partners Air New Zealand and the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment.
The Awards are also supported by the Department of Conservation, Auckland Airport, Westpac, ServiceIQ, Horwath HTL, He kai kei aku ringa, the PATA New Zealand Trust, epay, NZME and The Great Journeys of New Zealand. For more information on the New Zealand Tourism Awards categories, criteria and key dates, visit www.nztourismawards.org.nz
