PATA Acclaims Tourism Industry Best Practice

Twenty nine Gold Awards were handed out during the 2006 PATA Gold Awards Luncheon hosted by the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO).

Earlier, during the opening session of the Conference, four PATA Grand Awards were presented for best-of-show entries submitted by The South China Morning Post, Singapore Airlines, Kerala Tourism and the Mount Lavinia Hotel in Sri Lanka.

The 2006 PATA Grand Award for Heritage was presented to The South China Morning Post, Hong Kong SAR for its "Hong Kong's Vibrant Rural Communities" campaign. Published in The South China Morning Post, the series of articles vividly illustrates how the traditional villages of Hong Kong have adapted to the 21st century and the role they play in conserving Hong Kong's heritage.

The Marketing award went Singapore Airlines for its "Singapore Airlines Recovery Initiatives - Maldives, Sri Lanka and Bali." SIA successfully rallied the support of industry partners and tourism authorities in the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Bali. The airline garnered its global network and resources to promote a wide-ranging recovery programme. The promotion of the Maldives and Sri Lanka received enthusiastic response: more than 2,000 passengers purchased holiday packages.

The Environmental award went to Kerala Tourism, India for its "Zero Waste Kovalam." The project aims to tackle the waste issue in the fishing village and beach destination of Kovalam by changing the way the community uses materials and resources. Zero Waste is an ethical, economical and efficient way of looking at material use, reducing the production of waste, and enhancing waste management procedures.

The Education and Training award went to Mount Lavinia Hotel, Sri Lanka for its "Youth Trainee Programme." The programme aims to advance youth employment opportunities in the tourism industry.

In addition to the four Grand Awards, 29 PATA Gold Awards were presented to the winners listed in full below. Multiple Gold Awards went to Banyan Tree Holdings, Kerala Tourism, Tourism New Zealand and Sarawak Tourism Board.

The winning campaigns were selected from over 200 Gold Award entries by panels of international experts in each category. The awards were open to both PATA and non-PATA members, with the exception of the journalism awards, which were open to all published writers and photographers.

The PATA Gold Awards are generously sponsored by the Macau Government Tourist Office.

2006 PATA Grand and Gold Award Winners
GRAND AWARDS
1. Education and Training
Youth Trainee Programme
Mount Lavinia Hotel, Sri Lanka

2. Environment
Zero Waste Kovalam
Kerala Tourism, India

3. Heritage
Hong Kong's Living Villages
Mr Kevin Sinclair
The South China Morning Post, Hong Kong SAR


4. Marketing
Tourism Recovery Initiatives - Bali, Maldives and Sri Lanka Singapore
Airlines
Singapore Airlines, Singapore

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GOLD AWARDS
Marketing Awards

1. Government/Destination (National)
Make Yourself 100% at Home
Tourism New Zealand, New Zealand

2. Government/Destination (State/City)
Sydney in Winter 2005 Campaign
Tourism New South Wales, Australia

3. Carrier (International - Air)
Singapore Airlines Boarding Pass Privileges Programme 2006
Singapore Airlines, Singapore

4. Airport (International)
Munich Airport International, Germany

5. Industry -- Business Hotel
Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

6. Industry -- Hotel and Resort
Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel by Colours of Angsana
Banyan Tree Holdings, Singapore

7. Industry - Payment Card Company
Promoting Asia Pacific Travel, Post-Tsunami
Visa International Asia Pacific, Singapore

8. Industry - Distribution Network
Re-Energising the Abacus Brand Campaign
Abacus International, Singapore

9. Tour Operator/Travel Agent
Okinawa India Holy Maha Bodhi Friendship Exchange Programme
Okinawa Tourist Service, Japan

10. Industry -- Spa
Angsana Spa Kuala Lumpur
Banyan Tree Holdings, Singapore

11. Environmental -- Ecotourism/Travel-Related
Kumbalangi Rural Tourism Project
Kerala Tourism, India

12. Environmental -- Corporate Environmental
Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort- Environmental Management Programmes
Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort, Malaysia

13. Environmental Education Programme
The Mahout Adventure Club, Sri Lanka

14. Heritage and Culture - Heritage
Restoration and Re-use of Shigar Fort Palace
Shigar, District Skardu, Baltistan, Northern Areas of Pakistan
Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan

15. Heritage and Culture - Culture
Rainforest World Music Festival
Sarawak Tourism Board, Malaysia

16. Educational and Training - Educational Programme
Tourism New Zealand Online Trade Training Modules
Tourism New Zealand, New Zealand

17. Education & Training -- Publication
Ayurveda: the Mantra of Niramaya
Kerala Tourism, India

18. Consumer Travel Brochure
Royal Orchid Holidays
THAI Airways International, Thailand

19. Travel Advertisement - Print Media
The Journal - Sabah, Sarawak, Langkawi
Tourism Malaysia

20. Travel Advertisement -- Electronic Media
Butler
Langham Hotels International, Hong Kong SAR

21. Travel Poster
Sarawak
Sarawak Tourism Board, Malaysia

22. Destination Article - Magazine
Jewel of India
Mr Tad Friend
Travel +Leisure, USA

23. Industry Business Article - Trade Publications
Development of Bangladesh Tourism in a "Thrust Sector" with No Thrust
Mr Raquib Siddiqi
The Bangladesh Monitor, Bangladesh

24. Industry Business Article - Consumer Publications
Niche Tourism - Small is Beautiful
Ms Kamal Gill
Today's Traveller, India

25. Travel Photograph
Haircut in Beijing
Mr Macduff Everton
National Geographic Traveler, USA

26. Travel Guidebook
Aboriginal Australia: An Owners Manual
Mr Ian Crawshaw, Australia

27. Travel Video Award
Yokoso! Japan
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Japan

28. Public Relations Campaign
Tiger Airways: Promoting Corporate Citizenship and Community Relations
Fleishman-Hillard Singapore

29. CD-Rom
Naturally Nepal Interactive CD-ROM
Nepal Tourism Board

30. Website
Tourism Malaysia -- Europe Website
Tourism Malaysia

31. E-Newsletter
Focus!
Outrigger on the Lagoon, Fiji.

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HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Travel Guidebook
Insight Guides South India
APA Publications GmbH & Co. Verlag KG., Singapore

Travel Guidebook
Dhaka Calling
Mr Kazi Wahidul Alam
Bangladesh

Destination Article - Magazine
Touch Me, Heal Me
Mr P.F. Kluge
National Geographic Traveler, USA

Destination Article-Newspaper
Rhythms of Thailand
Mr Rob Mckeown
The Boston Globe, USA

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