Entries for the Lilizela Tourism Awards open until end of May

The Lilizela Tourism Awards recognise businesses and tourism players who work passionately and with pride to deliver a world-class tourism experience, underpinned by service excellence to the millions of tourists who visit the Eastern Cape.

Participation in the awards is free, however, businesses need to comply with certain requirements before applications can be accepted. The provincial finalists and winners from each category will be announced at the provincial Lilizela Tourism Awards, which will be held during tourism month in June 2019.

Entries for the Lilizela Tourism Awards are now open until May 31 2019. Members of the public and the tourism sector are encouraged to nominate establishments or service providers in the following three focus areas reflecting six categories:

Service Excellence

This award recognises how well tourism products are providing better services to visitors (to a very large degree, the decision will be based on guest feedback).
The award will focus on the following categories:

• accommodation sector: based on the Tourism Grading Council of SA’s (TGCSA) definition of accommodation establishments;
• visitor experience: includes scenic beauty, roots and culture, adventure and activities, wildlife, lifestyle, beach experience and luxury;
• tourist guides: includes nature guides, adventure guides and culture guides; and
• tour operators: recognises and rewards tour operators who not only allow tourists to experience the vast authentic experiences in SA.

Entrepreneurship

The ETEYA Lilizela Tourism Award (Emerging Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year Award) recognises black-owned SMMEs who have achieved notable success in operating their businesses.

Sustainable Development

The Universal Accessibility Award recognises universal accessible facilities and services at accommodation establishments and meetings, events, summits and exhibitions (MESE). These are venues that are accessible for people living with disabilities and special needs.

For more information or to enter, visit https://lilizela.co.za, email Songezo Dibela on Songezo.dibela@ecpta.co.za or call +27 43 492 0727.

This article is paid for by Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism.