PATA announces 2010 Grand and Gold Award Winners

PATA has announced the winners of the 2010 PATA Gold Awards, sponsored by the Macau Government Tourist Office. This year the awards recognise the achievements of 24-separate organisations and individuals.

The awards ceremony will take place at the Venetian Macau Resort Hotel on 17 September 2010 during the PATA Travel Mart 2010 .

PATA Grand Awards are presented to entries in the four principal categories: Marketing, Education and Training, Environment, and Heritage. This year, the Grand Awards go to Tourism New Zealand in the marketing category; Banyan Tree Spa Academy for education and training; AlamKulKul Boutique Resort, Bali for environment, and Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in the heritage category.

PATA Grand Awards 2010

Education and Training - Banyan Tree Spa Academy - Banyan Tree Spa

When the Banyan Tree Spa Academy in Phuket was opened in 2001, it developed a fully trained, talented therapist base that helped to enter new markets and grow the chain from one Banyan Tree Spa in 1994 to more than 61 Banyan Tree and Angsana Spas today. The Therapist Training Programme at Banyan Tree Spa Academy was developed and implemented to train new recruits, and encompasses all areas of spa therapy. This includes knowledge of the human anatomy and important pressure points, modern and traditional massage techniques, variation of body weight for different techniques, knowledge of skin epidermis and facial applications, properties of different herbs and spices, preparation of spa ingredients, setting up of treatment rooms and spa pavilions, and standard greeting procedures. To date, the Spa Academy has trained over 1,000 therapists for all the Banyan Tree Spas and Angsana Spas globally. The special emphasis on Banyan Tree Spa’s service concept to empower trainees to deliver the Banyan Tree Spa experience with consistency, finesse and sensitivity has enabled it to garner over 100-awards and accolades globally, making the Banyan Tree Spa one of the most renowned spa brands around the world.

Environment - Jantung Hijau, Green Heart - AlamKulKul Boutique Resort Bali, Indonesia

Jantung Hijau or Green Heart is an environmental awareness programme first introduced to AlamKulKul Boutique Resort employees in early 2000. Every staff member was asked to bring a tree along to the Family Day. Prizes were awarded for the most exotic species of native greenery. Every tree was later planted in the hotel grounds with each staff members’ name attached to it. The resort has repeatedly been involved in ‘green’ projects including beach clean-ups and working with the Balinese community to adopt local sites of cultural interest. The entire property no longer uses precious ground water reserves. The greatest achievement is continued effort to re-green the island of Bali through mass plantings. The Resort has planted more than 25,000-trees around Bali over the past 10-years. This endeavour in fact preceded Indonesia’s commitment during the Copenhagen Environmental Summit, to plant a billion trees in an effort to counteract the effects of global warming.

Heritage - Rural Tourism Project - Case Study of Hodka Village Ministry of Tourism, Government of India

The Rural Tourism Project was conceptualised in 2003 by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at 36-rural sites in 20 states. This has now been extended to another 133 villages. This winning entry for the PATA Gold Award 2010 is specifically for the Shaam-e-Sarhad resort of the rural tourism project at Hodka village in the Kachchh district of Gujarat. Sustainable visitor strategies based on art, craft, cultural, natural heritage and environment care, can hence target larger tourism yields, which could contribute significantly to conservation, and the rural sector in particular. The Project facilitates interactive experiences of rural life for the paying visitor, who is the direct income route for the local communities. The project’s key action routes include the formation of rural self help groups, tourism marketing and governance structures, backed by convergent support to sustainable village infrastructure, waste management and environment car. The focus is thereby on sustainable capacity building with local stakeholder participation, wherein women and the rural poor are target beneficiaries.

Marketing - Your Big Break - Tourism New Zealand, New Zealand

An innovative short film competition gave amateur film-makers the opportunity to create a film that would become part of the internationally acclaimed ‘100% Pure New Zealand’ marketing campaign. With support from Academy Award winning producer Barrie Osborne and legendary New Zealand director Peter Jackson, tapped into American consumers’ love of movies and celebrity culture. The campaign used social media, online marketing and PR, to raise awareness of New Zealand as a holiday destination in the USA.

PATA Gold Awards 2010

Marketing - Primary Government Destination Eco Tourism Marketing Campaign Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
Marketing - Secondary Government Destination Hong Kong Food and Wine Year Destination Campaign Hong Kong Tourism Board
Marketing - Hospitality - Outrigger Laguna Phuket Resort and Villas Opening Campaign Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, Asia
Marketing - Industry - Let your Mind Travel - Kuoni Travel India, India
Ecotourism Project - ABS-CBN Foundation-Bantay Kalikasan - Iwahig River Community- Based Ecotourism Project, Philippines
Corporate Environmental Programme - Promote Ecology and Conservation on Lantau Ngong Ping 360 Limited, Hong Kong SAR
Environmental Education Programme - Qantas Award for Excellence in Sustainable Tourism Qantas Airways Ltd, Australia
Heritage - The Launch of Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Sofitel Luxury Hotels Asia Pacific, Thailand
Culture - Baan Mae Kampong - Tourism Authority of Thailand
Education and Training - Child Protection Workshop - Kuoni Destination Management, India
Marketing Media - Consumer Travel Brochure Revamping Consumer Travel Brochures of Sri Lanka Tourism Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Sri Lanka
Marketing Media - Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media Thailand Talks to the World Tourism Authority of Thailand
Marketing Media - Travel Advertisement Print Media Mahatma Gandhi Creative Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
Marketing Media - Travel Poster - LIVE LOVE Campaign Poster and Quick Screen Series Hong Kong Tourism Board
Marketing Media - Promotional Travel Video A Trip to the Heart-Warming Country of Korea Korea Tourism Organization
Marketing Media - Public Relations Campaign How to Launch a Large Hotel in a Challenged Market and New Brand ibis Accor Asia Pacific and ibis Singapore on Bencoolen
Marketing Media - Web site - keralatourism.org: The Best Tourism Website in India Kerala Tourism, India
Travel Journalism – Destination Article Feasts of Hong Kong Christian Kerber Travel +Leisure Magazine, September 2009, USA
Travel Journalism - Travel Photograph Whale Shark, Ningaloo Reef Rolex Awards/Jurgen Freund Qatar Airways In-Flight magazine Oryx, December 2009 Agency Fish, United Kingdom
Travel Journalism - Travel Guidebook Kayak Philippines Primer Group of Companies and Philippines Department of Tourism

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