The countdown begins. The tourism and hospitality sectors are invited to participate in the 4th annual Durban Tourism Business Awards, which recognize business excellence, resilience and innovation within the industry. Entries opened today, 22 November, and will close on 23 February 2024.
To start the entry process, all tourism businesses with the eThekwini Municipality please follow this link: https://durbantourismawards.com. You will receive an automated email response confirming your successful online entry.
Participants have the opportunity to win development prizes to help elevate their businesses. All category top winners will receive up to R50,000 in cash, while winners of the exceptional achievement category will be awarded R100,000 to attend an international tourism exhibition or study tour. The first runner-up will receive R35,000, and the second runner-up will receive R25,000.
Previous winners have praised the awards as an excellent platform for promoting their businesses, offering extensive marketing opportunities, including free advertising and additional support.
Award categories include:
1. Service Excellence Category, featuring the following subcategories:
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- Accommodations Awards: Hotels and non-hotels
- MESE Awards: Meetings, exhibitions, and special events venues
- Visitor Experiences Awards: Scenic beauty, roots and culture, adventure activities, wildlife, lifestyle, beach experiences, and luxury
- Tourist Guides Awards: Nature guides, adventure guides, and culture guides
- Tour Operators Awards: Emerging and established tour operators
- Rickshaw Pullers
- Crafters
- Event Organizers and Promoters
2. Sustainable Development Category, recognizing those promoting universal accessibility and green tourism products, as defined by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.
3. Entrepreneurship Category, which celebrates emerging tourism entrepreneurs, particularly black-owned small, medium, and micro enterprise (SMME) tourism establishments that have achieved significant success since inception.
4. Upcoming Filmmakers Category, honoring unique and impactful individuals and organizations that have produced, scripted, and directed films showcasing Durban as a premier destination in the last five years.
5. Exceptional Achievement Category, recognizing globally renowned companies that enhance visitor flow to the city, contribute to job creation, and maintain competitiveness. This category includes five subcategories:
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- Investment
- Hospitality
- Rural and Township Investment Development
- Creative Industries
- Contributions by Persons with Disabilities in the sector.
To maintain integrity of the awards, there will be a thorough tabulation and audit of the businesses. This will be followed by a public voting phase to raise awareness of local tourism products.
The final stage involves an independent panel of judges visiting nominated businesses to assess them.
Community tourism organizations, industry stakeholders, and the public are encouraged to identify and motivate tourism businesses in their areas to enter the awards.
For more information, please email: info@durbantourismawards.com or call 031 322 4164. You can also visit www.durbantourismawards.com or follow @DBNTourism on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
