South Islanders Shine in Young Tourism Professiona

15 August, 2007

South Islanders Shine in Young Tourism Professional Award

This year’s PATA Young Tourism Professional Award is dominated by South Islanders, with all four talented young finalists competing for the prestigious tourism award, based in the region.

The Award is part of the Tourism Industry Awards, managed by the Tourism Industry Association, and recognises talented individuals with great passion for the tourism sector and a commitment to professional excellence.

The finalists in the 2007 PATA Young Tourism Professional Award are:

* Ben Chapman, sales and marketing manager, NZONE – The Ultimate Jump, Queenstown
* Jason Dell, head chef, Blanket Bay, Glenorchy
* Scott Pearson, general manager, Alpine Pacific Tourism, Amberley
* Dr Susanne Becken, principle research officer, Lincoln University’s Tourism Recreation Research and Education Centre, Christchurch

PATA NZ Trust Chairperson, Neil Plimmer, says it is very encouraging to see so many inspirational young tourism professionals entering the competition.

“We have an outstanding group of finalists, representing the many different facets of the New Zealand tourism industry and the many different career paths that the industry offers.

“It is important to recognise these remarkable individuals who play a critical role in shaping the future success of New Zealand’s tourism industry,” he says.

The Award includes a grant of $1,500 from the PATA NZ Trust to advance the professional development of emerging talent in the New Zealand tourism industry.

The winner will be announced at the Tourism Industry Awards Celebration Dinner at SkyCity Convention Centre on Thursday August 30, 2007.

ENDS

About PATA NZ Trust:
PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) is an international organisation committed to sustainable growth and development of the global tourism industry.

The PATA New Zealand Trust was founded to support this aim and established the
PATA Young Tourism Professional Awards in 2001 as part of the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) annual Tourism Industry Awards.

About the finalists:

Dr Suzanne Becken
Suzanne, 33, is a principle research officer at Lincoln University’s Tourism Recreation Research and Education Centre, which is an initiative at Lincoln University to facilitate interdisciplinary tourism, recreation and leisure research and education opportunities. Suzanne, who is originally from Germany, has worked on several research projects all aimed at the development of New Zealand tourism.

Ben Chapman
Ben, 31, is sales and marketing manager at NZONE –The Ultimate Jump, an award-winning adventure tourism business based in Queenstown with a significant share of the New Zealand tandem skydive market. He is responsible for the sales teams in Rotorua and Queenstown and director of marketing and advertising, providing strategic marketing concepts and mentoring staff across both locations.

Jason Dell
Jason, 35, is executive chef at Blanket Bay, an alpine luxury lodge in Glenorchy, Central Otago. In his role he oversees all food operations including menu design, recipe development, purchasing, inventory control and personnel recruitment.

Scott Pearson
Scott, 34, is general manager of Alpine Pacific Tourism, a company promoting three of New Zealand’s popular recreational destinations, Hamner Springs, Waipara Valley wine region and Kaikoura which are linked by the Alpine Pacific Triangle touring route. In his role, Scott has been responsible for re-branding Hurunui Tourism to focus on the Alpine Pacific Triangle Touring Route and has been committed to advancing the regional tourism industry.

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