Whale Watch Kaikoura Finalist In Tourism Award

Whale Watch Kaikoura Finalist In Top International Tourism Award

Whale Watch Kaikoura has been confirmed as a finalist in the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards hosted by the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC).

The awards take place at the 10th Global Travel and Tourism Summit in Beijing China on May 26. (http://www.tourismfortomorrow.com/Home)

The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards recognise best practice in sustainable tourism within the travel and tourism industry worldwide. Whale Watch Kaikoura was one of 160 tourism operators from more than 45 countries considered for the awards.

Whale Watch Kaikoura chief operating officer Kauahi Ngapora says it is an honour to be nominated for the prestigious awards. “To be a finalist against some of the world’s finest sustainable tourism operators is an honour. It is humbling to be recognised for practices that have steered our organisation since its inception.”

The announcement comes just months after Whale Watch Kaikoura was named Supreme Award winner at the 2009 Responsible Tourism Awards in London..

Whale Watch Kaikoura has been named a finalist in the Community Benefit Award at this year’s Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, where tourism operators must demonstrate direct benefits to local people, including development that provides jobs, transfer of industry skills, and support for community development. Finalists in this category must show:

• A positive contribution to cultural heritage.

• A commitment to expansion that provides local employment and includes fair wages.

• Opportunities for local community input and empowerment in tourism development planning.

• Training and educational opportunities that result in economic and social benefits for local communities, including career advancement. Finalists should be able to demonstrate how local people in the destination can become stakeholders and partners in sustainable tourism efforts and/or in developing their own business.

Mr Ngapora says Whale Watch Kaikoura is a locally owned and run business that is proud of the strong community support it enjoys. “Whale Watch Kaikoura is part of a community focused on providing best practice in sustainable tourism and also in providing the best possible experience for visitors to our region.” - Ends.

About Whale Watch Kaikoura Whale Watch Kaikoura is a 100 per cent New Zealand-owned tourism business established in 1987. Whale Watch Kaikoura specialises in providing an inspirational experience for more than 100,000 visitors each year who take in the majesty and grace of giant sperm whales in their natural environment off the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island. With unobtrusive viewing from specially designed vessels, tours also provide the opportunity to enjoy other temporary and long-term Kaikoura wildlife including dusky and hector dolphins, New Zealand fur seals, and various species of albatross such as the Wandering and Royal, petrels, shearwaters, prions, fulmars and migrating whale and dolphin species, including the humpback, southern right, blue, fin, orca, and the bottlenose. http://www.whalewatch..co.nz/

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