Tourism awards are fabulous to win because, at that moment, when you accept your trophy, you’re recognised for your business excellence and acknowledged as an industry leader. And there are so many other benefits that follow.

Too Time Consuming?

On the flip side, though, many tourism business owners don’t bother because they can be time-consuming to enter.

But we think that it’s all how you look at it!

So, let’s explore the top five tourism award benefits and what you can stand to gain, no matter the size of your tourism operation.

No.1 Review & Improve

Taking the time to go through the award process is incredibly beneficial and valuable – whether it’s for a local, state, national or industry-specific award.

And it can far outweigh the potential time commitment or ‘stress’ involved.

As tourism operators, it’s so easy to get caught up in the busy days and get through the task at hand. An award application lets you take stock and deep dive into your business to deliver a current overview of your operations.

This will:

• Highlight your successes
• Assess your current values, objectives and brand position
• Identify and enhance your current practices
• And most importantly, it gives you scope for how far you can go in the future.

You might be surprised at what you uncover and how it reignites your passion for your achievements and the full potential of your business.

Of course, you will also receive invaluable feedback from the judges on your submission, which can spark further clarity, growth, initiatives and success.

No.2 Benchmark Your Business

Going through the application process for a tourism award forces you to take a step up and out from your business and see it through different eyes.

When you compare and benchmark yourself against peers and competitors, you’ll ask yourself:

• How do we stand out?
• What are we doing better than our competitors?
• Or conversely, what areas do we need to improve?
• How can we learn from our competitors?

This type of benchmark analysis can quickly reveal where your offering is superior or lacking, particularly in customer service, marketing, innovation, sustainability and growth.

What you uncover through this process can be incredibly valuable.

No.3 Media Exposure & Free Marketing

A crucial aspect of tourism awards is maximising your PR opportunities, whether before the event if you’re shortlisted as a Finalist. Or after when you’ve won!

You can gain media attention from local newspapers, radio, TV and online, which adds to the value of entering the award.

When you win, make sure that you include the award logo wherever you can – from brochures and business cards to email and online.

You want to celebrate your hard work and showcase what your business has achieved wherever you can.

No.4 Gain a Competitive Advantage

What better way to elevate your brand awareness and stand out from the crowd than with an award?

Being nominated, shortlisted or winning a tourism award is a perfect example of social proof. It’s a 3rd party endorsement, which only serves to increase your credibility in the customer’s eyes.

Ask yourself – if you were a potential customer choosing between two tourism operators that seem quite similar, could that award logo be what helps you to choose?

It’s a sign of quality and excellence, which helps differentiate you and creates instant trust.

No.5 Motivate Your Team

Winning an award leads to high fives all around! It’s a great way to recognise all the hard work you and your team put in each day, and it will definitely boost morale and increase motivation.

If you can take any staff to the glamorous awards dinner, that can be a great experience. But as a minimum, we’d strongly recommend holding a staff meeting or dinner to celebrate winning an award. The victory has come from everyone playing their part, and you want your team to feel involved, appreciated and proud!

As a bonus, having tourism awards and increased staff morale will also help you attract and retain new staff.

And the opportunities are endless.

Let’s not forget the fun and networking opportunities that come with attending the event!

You honestly can never know what doors can open, what collaborations are possible or what new seeds will be planted by taking the time to enter tourism awards.

Plus, if you win – your shiny, new trophy will take pride of place in your business! 

Need help with your award submission?

We can mentor you through the process or write the entire award application for you. Contact us at hello@decantdigital.com