Testimonials
Our participation in the WA Tourism Awards was a great opportunity for us to review our business practices, acknowledge and reflect on our achievements and identify any areas of improvement.
The submission process was comprehensive, but it was also a great opportunity to get involvement and input from our staff within the business.
Having received the accolade of winning a tourism award, the opportunities to leverage from the win were endless and well worth the effort. The ability to acknowledge our business as ‘Award Winning’ was priceless and the flow on recognition within industry and media exposure was also invaluable.
We first entered the Hosted Accommodation Category of the WA Tourism Awards in 2006 after earning accreditation with the Tourism Council in 2000. We were motivated to enter as a methodology for analysing our business performance and receiving independent objective assessment and feedback. A silver medal in our first year was a great thrill particularly in one of the most highly competitive categories.
We entered the awards for a further 4 years achieving a gold medal each time and after our 2010 win we will now be inducted into the WA Tourism Hall of Fame in 2011 as category winners for 3 consecutive years. It will be a very proud moment that we are sincerely looking forward to.
The process of preparing the submissions was rewarding but certainly not easy. Researching, collating and analysing data about our customers, business and industry trends along with extracting relevant information from our strategic business and marketing plans was a bit tedious but provided a worthwhile eye-opener as well. Looking back on past improvements and results was very satisfying proving that all our hard work was taking us in the right direction. Comparing our business year by year also inspired innovation as we strived to demonstrate continuous improvement and a proactive, motivated approach.
In preparing submissions ourselves, we proved our passion and commitment to our business, guests and industry. We cannot overemphasise the importance of proof reading, getting some external critique and using all the support that the Tourism Council offers to help keep focussed, specific and pertinent.
The awards presentation nights were fantastic. Meeting our peers and industry colleagues to celebrate our respective achievements was a definite highlight. The contacts and networking opportunities that developed were extremely valuable as was the camaraderie that grew particularly when all the state winners represented Western Australia at the National Tourism Awards each year.
All in all, the awards process has been a true learning tool for developing our own professionalism in the industry, for securing contacts and friendships and for challenging us to keep on doing what we do well.
EcoBeach Wilderness Retreat 
The process of applying for the WA Tourism awards was a fantastic way to document the many initiatives and developments of our business. It also gave us the opportunity to completely review our business which was great for further development. It was such a thrill to be recognised for our achievements on a state and then ultimately a national level and we received excellent media exposure as a result of this.
Two Feet & a Heartbeat
As one of the owners and operators of Two Feet & a Heartbeat, I choose to enter the Tourism Council’s WA Tourism
Awards every year. For me it serves as an easy check up on the performance of my business as it helps me track the things I said I was going to do against what I have actually done. It also aids me in identifying areas within my business that may be weak or are in need improvement. The process itself requires me to take a step back from the day to day operations of the business and evaluate all functions critically with both internal stakeholders and external observers.
Getting things done on time is not one of my strong suits but with the help provided by TCWA including the awards toolkit and having access to the TCWA staff goes a long way to eliminating the stress involved in submitting for the awards. All that stress fades away quickly once you have submitted and then it’s time to look forward to the Finals Fever function and the Gala Awards night where the winners are announced and everyone lets loose at a great party!
All in all, the WA Tourism Awards are a great way to evaluate your company on an annual basis and to get that much needed recognition that every business needs.
