Carter Observatory wins in Cyber Space

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release

24 September 2012

Carter Observatory wins in Cyber Space

Carter Observatory is pleased to announce that they have won an eTourism award in the Tourism Attractions, Activities and Tours category of the inaugural eTourism Online Awards announced at their conference on 20 September.

Awards founder & judge, James Hacon, says, “In this, the first year of the eTourism Awards, we were delighted to have a good number of entries from attractions and activities all over New Zealand with some stiff competition. Carter Observatory stood out as not only valuing the importance of a good website and content, but also a wider web presence. We were particularly impressed by the way their website gave potential visitors a true feel for what they were going to experience, rather than facts about the attraction.”

Judges of the New Zealand eTourism Awards 2012 were looking for organisations that have a web presence that engages the visitor from the offset, whether through its unique content or where the user experience is second to none. The three entry categories included Destination Marketing / Regional Tourism Organisations, Accommodation and Attractions, Activities and Tours.

The awards went to the companies or organisations whose website provided the most compelling case to entice the visitor to participate in a tour, attraction or activity. The aspects of web presence the judges were seeking included the web design, functionality, content and booking capability, along with effective use of social media presence and response to online reviews.

“We are absolutely delighted by this win,” says Dawn Muir, Marketing & Communications Manager at Carter. “We’ve spent a lot of time and a bit of money integrating our online presence and this award indicates that we’re on the right track. It reinforces our efforts and has given us a great boost in confidence.”

Carter Observatory is continuing to develop and explore new online vehicles to engage visitors and deepen their experience through the incorporation of innovative Wellington-based companies such as Beek, an online interactive visitor guide, and stqry.com, a QR droid application that will provide translated interpretation through Carter’s multimedia galleries on visitors’ mobile devices.

For the most up to date information on what’s going on at Carter Observatory, check out the Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/carterobservatory) or website (www.carterobservatory.org).

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