Search underway for exceptional young tourism professional

26 June 2009

Entries for the 2009 PATA Young Tourism Professional Award now open 

Rising stars in the New Zealand tourism industry are being sought for the 2009 PATA Young Tourism Professional Award.

The Award, managed by the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA), recognises aspiring young individuals who are paving the way in the tourism sector.  The winner of the award will receive a grant of $2500 to advance their professional development, together with access to ATTTO management courses.

 PATA NZ Trust Chairman Neil Plimmer says, “In the current challenging times the tourism industry more than ever needs to encourage its best young people to stay and to achieve high performance standards. It needs to attract and train to the highest professional levels a new generation of young enthusiasts. The PATA Young Tourism Professional Award helps bring this about by recognising and rewarding outstanding achievement.

“Nominations can come from any field of tourism and travel: past winners have included a Maori tour operator, a chef, a Ministry of Tourism policy adviser, a coach company CEO, an Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO) manager and others.

“The PATA Trust is very pleased to have ATTTO join us as a partner this year, enabling the size and range of awards to be extended.”

The PATA Young Tourism Professional Award is open to those working in the tourism industry under the age of 35 at the closing date for entries, 14 August 2009.  Finalists will be announced in early October.

2008 award recipient William Goodfellow, Managing Director of Explore NZ, says the award recognises the work put into the business.

“Winning the 2008 PATA Young Tourism Professional Award was a great surprise, a tremendous acknowledgement of our innovative approach and hard work, not just for me personally but the whole team. Explore NZ has grown rapidly and is now based in Auckland and the Bay of Islands. The award helps confirm the direction of the business and the recognition is certainly very much appreciated.”   

Jason Dell, executive chef at Blanket Bay Luxury Alpine Resort and 2007 award winner, says the award was a huge accomplishment for him.

“Today’s professional chefs are a new generation of cultural explorers, striving to promote and showcase the best New Zealand has to offer.  This Award confirmed that my pursuit for culinary excellence had and has a clear purpose, and that our high standards at Blanket Bay are being achieved and maintained.”

Other recipients of the PATA Young Tourism Professional Award include Melissa Crockett, Director of Potiki Adventures; Paul Bingham, CEO of Black Cat Cruises; Chris Lamers, former General Marketing Manager of Positively Wellington Tourism; Malcolm Johns, CEO of InterCity Group Limited; Richard Wilson, formerly Tourism Holdings Group; and Simon Douglas, formerly Ministry of Tourism.

For more information and to download the Official Entry Form visit the Tourism Industry Awards website www.tourismawards.co.nz.

ENDS

About PATA NZ Trust

PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) is an international organisation based in Bangkok committed to the sustainable growth and development of the global tourism industry, with a special focus on the Pacific Asia region.

The PATA NZ Trust comprises a group of senior New Zealand tourism industry leaders who have also filled senior roles in PATA, as former Presidents or similar, several being PATA Life Members. The Trust is committed to the development within New Zealand of educational and training programmes for the tourism industry.

The annual PATA Young Tourism Professional Award, held in conjunction with TIA and with the support of ATTTO, is the Trust's primary activity.

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