Vanuatu Tourism Awards for Excellence around the corner

The Vanuatu Tourism Awards for Excellence program started in 2015 as a collaborative effort between the Vanuatu government and the tourism industry to relaunch the tourism awards.

Members of peak tourism associations formed a secretariat, hosted by the Vanuatu Tourism Office, to manage and redesign the Awards process. The objective of the program is to improve standards and professionalism, whilst encouraging the continual development of the tourism sector.

By recognizing excellence and celebrating the success of operators who are delivering an outstanding service to tourists, the Awards aim to encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing within the industry to help build the Vanuatu brand and enhance the visitor experience.

The ultimate goal of the Awards is to attract more tourists to create greater economic opportunity in Vanuatu and build a sustainable future for the industry.

The 2017/2018 Bred Bank Vanuatu Tourism Awards for Excellence is being financially and technically supported through NZAid funded Vanuatu Strategic Tourism Action Plan (VSTAP) Implementation Unit as part of the Government of Vanuatu’s focus to improving tourism product standards and supporting better communication and co-ordination between stakeholders.

The VSTAP Implementation Unit partners with the Dept of Tourism and the VTO to implement standards and accreditation programs to help create a more competitive tourist destination that provides a diverse range of quality tourism experiences.

The other Major Sponsors are Air Vanuatu, Digicel, What to Do, Azure Pure Water and Warwick Le Lagon.

The category and other sponsors include the Vanuatu Hotels and Resorts Association, Island Life Magazine, World Car Rentals Vanuatu, Adventures in Paradise, Vanuatu Insurance Brokers, Angelfish Cove Villas, Vanuatu Kaljoral Senta, Classic Printers Vanuatu, South Sea Shipping, Public Land Transport Authority, Department of Industry, Vanuatu Scuba Operators Association, Espiritu Santo Tourism Association, Tourism Marketing Development Fund, Beachfront Resort, Ministry of Tourism and Trade, Department of Agriculture, Vila Distribution, Ministry of Youth & Sports Development, Vanuatu Tour Operators Association and Ecotourism Australia.

The international judges have arrived and site visits are being done for the next 10 days, across four provinces.

The Awards Event and Gala Dinner are just around the corner on Saturday 23rd June 2018. The Awards is from 2.30pm till 5.30pm at the Vanuatu Convention Centre. This is a free event with entertainment, nibbles and drinks. Staff, families and friends are encouraged to attend to support the finalists and winners.

Three new special awards will be presented this year including the Minister of Tourism Sustainability Business Award, Agritourism Special Award and Father Luke Dini Ecotourism Individual Award.

The Gala Dinner follows at Warwick Le Lagon – Vanuatu from 6.30pm till 11pm. Tickets can be purchased from the VTO information centre up till the 15th of June 2018. Grab a table of 10 to get a discount.

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Source: Blog