Sky City takes prize for tourism

By SIMON HENDERY

Sky City last night won the supreme prize in the annual New Zealand Tourism Awards.

Announcing the awards, the Tourism Industry Association said Sky City's Auckland casino, hotel and entertainment complex was the country's most visited tourist attraction, with 5.5 million visitors a year.

"The judges were impressed by Sky City's entrepreneurial spirit, innovative thinking and sound business practices. They said that Sky demonstrably provided an outstanding visitor experience of a truly international standard," said TIA chief executive John Moriarty.

The two other main award winners, announced at a function in Rotorua last night as part of the annual Tourism Conference, were Anchor Inn Kaikoura (overall visitor accommodation and transportation category) and regional tourism organisation Destination Northland (overall tourism marketing and development category).

Dorothy Huhana Mihinui, known as Guide Bubbles at Rotorua's Whakarewarewa thermal village where she worked in the 1930s, won the Sir Jack Newman award for outstanding contribution to tourism.

THL Experiences general manager Richard Wilson won the Pacific Asia Travel Association young tourism professional award.

Some other category winners from the upper North Island were:

* Sheraton Auckland Hotel and Towers.

* New Zealand Motorcycle Rentals, Auckland.

* Waimangu Volcanic Valley, Rotorua.

* Maori Arts & Crafts Institute, Rotorua.

* Rotorua Museum.

* Kiwi Discovery, Auckland International Airport.

* NZ Educational tours, Whakatane.

* Ellerslie Flower Show.

* Kiwi Experience, Auckland.

* Royal Lakeside Novotel, Rotorua.

* Te Wairoa, the Buried Village, Rotorua.

* Auckland International Airport.

Last year's winner of the supreme award was Fullers Bay of Islands.

www.nzherald.co.nz/travel