Ruapehu features in tourism awards

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 688, 27 May 1997, Page 1

Ruapehu features in tourism awards

Three central region tourism operations have been named as finalists in the 1997 New Zealand Tourism Awards. The Ruapehu-Lake Taupo Bounce-Back campaign, introduced last year to revitalise tourism to the V olcanic Plateau after the second eruption of Mt Ruapehu in two years, is a finalist in the marketing campaign category. It has some tough competition - Air New Zealand' s Pacific Wave of Change rebranding campaign, Ansett New Zealand' s "Time of Your Life" campaign and Air New Zealand' s Thailand Magic Season campaign. Mountain Air is once again a finalist in the Transportation and Touring category, and has also been chosen as a finalist in the special Small Operator Award category. The Grand Chateau is also a finalist again, in the mid-range, fullservice accommodation category, up against the Okawa Bay Lake Resort in Rotorua and the Awaroa Lodge and Cafe in Takaka. The New Zealand Tourism Awards are organised by the New Zealand Tourism Board and sponsored by American Express.

Announcing the finalists, New Zealand Tourism Board deputy chief executive Chris Ryan (no relation to RDC's acting CEO) said with more entries this year than in previous years, the competition to make it through to the finals had been tough. Nationwide, there were 150 entries and 52 of these are finalists. "The judging process for the awards is extremely rigorous, with seven judges from the tourism industry spending two days considering all entries, before coming up with the list of finalists. The awards are judged in terms of overall excellence in quality, service, customer focus, marketing operations and service to the environment. They are divided into 20 categories, with the overall winner receiving the coveted New Zealand Tourism Supreme Award. Ruapehu District Council marketing manager, Bruce Rollinson said he was extremely pleased the efforts of Bounce-Back have achieved national recognition for its innovative approach. The outcomes of this initiative, which are still being realised, will provide positive exposure leading into the 1997 ski season, which is great for the industry.