Welcome to the 2012 Whitsunday Tourism Awards!
Tourism Whitsundays is excited to announce that nominations for the 2012 Whitsunday Tourism Awards open on Friday, 20 April. Could your business be the Whitsundays best tourist attraction? The Whitsundays best new tourism business? The Whitsundays best accommodation?
The Whitsunday Tourism Awards are the region's premier tourism event, established to pay tribute to the enormous contribution made by the region's tourism operators and service providers and to encourage excellence within the industry. The awards recognise growth in tourism products and services and are based on businesses having a solid business plan, businesses that continually innovate their products and who implement targeted marketing campaigns.
The prestige of being recognised by peers and as a Whitsunday Tourism Award winner is highly regarded.
Need to know...
- Nominations are completed online, and close on Monday, 21 May. All you have to do at this stage is nominate your business, then you have 3-4 months to prepare your entry submission.
- Nomination and entry into the Whitsunday Tourism Awards is FREE.
- The Whitsunday Tourism Awards are run under the national judging criteria, and the stringent judging process not only helps business owners review and evaluate their businesses, but keeps businesses working towards best practice for the benefit of the Whitsundays. The awards process is not just about the status of winning the award (although that is important!), but more about the process of writing a business plan, setting goals and targets, innovating your business and then reviewing your success at the end of the year.
- The Whitsunday Tourism Awards are run in line with the Queensland and Australian Tourism Awards. Entry is also currently open for the Queensland Tourism Awards, which businesses must enter separately. Winners at Queensland level gain automatic entry into the Australian Tourism Awards.
- Enter by clicking on the red button below. Good luck!
NEW CATEGORIES!
In 2012, there are three new categories:
Category 27 Health and Wellbeing Tourism is being piloted at the Whitsunday and Queensland Tourism Awards in 2012, for consideration for inclusion at the National level in future. This category is open to specialised tourism services or facilities whose primary purpose is to provide health, wellbeing and/or restorative services to enhance the visitor experience. Entry is open - but not limited to - health and day spas, resorts, retreats and wellbeing centres.
Category 33 Smile Whitsundays Customer Service Award, and is open at a local level only (ie. Whitsunday Tourism Awards only, NOT the Queensland or Australian Tourism Awards). This award will recognise excellence in customer service and is open to ALL businesses registered for Smile Whitsundays.
Category 34 People's Choice Award for best tourism business in the Whitsundays. This award is a popular vote, and open at a local level only (ie. Whitsunday Tourism Awards only, NOT the Queensland or Australian Tourism Awards). All businesses who submit a valid entry by 27 August 2012 in categories 1-27 in the Whitsunday Tourism Awards will be eligibile for the People's Choice Award. Voting will be opened online from 3 - 21 September and anyone will be eligible to vote.
CATEGORIES YOU CAN ENTER
In 2012, there are 32 categories you can nominate for:
Category 1 - Major Tourist Attractions
Category 2 - Tourist Attractions
Category 3 - Major Festivals and Events
Category 4 - Festivals and Events
Category 5 - The Steve Irwin Award for Ecotourism
Category 6 - Heritage and Cultural Tourism
Categroy 7 - Indigenous Tourism
Category 8 - Specialised Tourism Services
Category 9 - Visitor Information and Services
Category 10 - Business Tourism
Category 11 - Major Tour and/or Transport Operator
Category 12 - Tour and/or Transport Operator
Category 13 - Adventure Tourism
Category 14 - Tourism Marketing
Category 15 - Tourism Education and Training
Category 16 - Schweppes Tourism Restaurants and Catering Services
Category 17 - Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries
Category 18 - Tourist and Caravan Parks
Category 19 - Backpacker Accommodation
Category 20 - Hosted Accommodation
Category 21 - Unique Accommodation
Category 22 - Standard Accommodation
Category 23 - Deluxe Accommodation
Category 24 - Luxury Accommodation
Category 25 - Ergon Energy New Tourism Development
Category 26 - Excellence in Sustainable Tourism
Category 27 - Health and Wellbeing Tourism
Category 28 - Local Government Award for Tourism (not open at Whitsunday level; open at Queensland level only)
Category 29 - Outstanding Contribution by a Volunteer or Volunteer Group
Category 30 - Young Achiever's Award
Category 31 - Outstanding Contribution by an Individual
Category 32 - Non Tourism Business (open at Whitsunday level only)
Category 33 - Smile Whitsundays Customer Service Award
Category 34 - People's Choice - Best Whitsundays Tourism Business (open at Whitsunday level only; automatic entry for all businesses who enter categories 1-27)
CHANGES TO CRITERIA FROM 2011 and 2012:
- The awards are online. No hard copy submissions will be excepted. Both nomination and submission will ONLY be accepted online at the dedicated E-Awards portal.
- Category 32 - The non-tourism categories (Small and Significant Business) have been merged into one: Non-Tourism Business.
- Category Name and/or descriptor changes:
- Category 1 - This category is for attractions which are considered a hallmark destination in their own right. They may be publicly or privately owned and can operate in conjunction with a natural attraction or on their own.
- Category 2 - This category is open to attractions of state/territory importance which contribute to the tourism experience within their metropolitan or country region. Atrractions may be developed in conjunction with a natural attraction or on their own.
- Category 10 - Business Tourism (was Meetings and Business Tourism)
- Category 17 - Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries (was Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Boutique Breweries) - this category is open to all wineries, distilleries and breweries.
4. Businesses inducted into the Whitsunday Hall of Fame are now permitted to continue to enter their category, even after winning for three years in a row. Eg.
- Win the same category three years in a row e.g. 2010, 2011, 2012
- Receive an award and entry into the Hall of Fame 2012
- Eligible to re-enter that same category the following year 2013
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- This applies to all businesses currently in the Hall of Fame, and ongoing.
- 5. Site inspections (for eligible categories) are now worth 20% of the total score being added to the submission score. Exceptions to this are:
- Categories 3 and 4 – Due to the seasonal nature of entrants in these categories the site visit is for verification purposes of the above mentioned policy and procedure manuals only and therefore no points will be awarded.
- Categories 8 and 25 – Due to the diversity of entrants in these categories the site visit is for verification purposes only and therefore no points will be awarded.
- Category 14, 30, 34 – No visitation.
NOTE: Categories 10 and 32 now have a site visit.
6. No financial information is required to be given again this year.
7. Changes to rules - new font allowed, no hyperlinks allowed, minimum scores implemented.
For a full copy of the changes to the awards categories, criteria and rules, please see the Rules of Entry, available at the online nomination portal (click button below).
ENTER AWARDS NOW