| February 28, 2020 – Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador hosted the annual Tourism Excellence Awards Gala on Thursday night as the grand finale to the 37th Annual Conference and Trade Show, held in the beautiful City of Corner Brook from February 25-27. The Gala featured the presentation of the Tourism Excellence Awards, recognizing the outstanding tourism leaders and businesses that make great contributions to the provincial tourism industry. “I would like to congratulate all the nominees and recipients of this year’s awards and commend each and every one of them for their contribution to Newfoundland and Labrador’s tourism industry,” says incoming Hospitality NL Chair, Steve Denty. “It’s our caring, dedicated tourism community that truly drives the success of our industry and that’s what makes Newfoundland and Labrador the destination it is today, one that inspires visitors to come back over and over again.” The following is a list of awards and award recipients. Detailed information about each award and recipient is available below. Photos are available by contacting Shanelle Clowe at sclowe@hnl.ca H. Clayton Sparkes Accommodator Award of Excellence – Bonne Bay Inn and Seaside Suites CBDC Tourism Business Award of Excellence – Rafting Newfoundland BDC Tourism Innovator Award – Tour Gros Morne Tourism Champion Award – David Hayashida and Linda Yates, Kings Point Pottery Tourism Corporate Partner Award – Tourisme Saint-Pierre et Miquelon Cultural Tourism Award – Bell Island Community Museum & No. 2 Mine Tour Bed & Breakfast Award of Excellence – Inn at Happy Adventure Parks Canada Sustainable Tourism Award – Two Whales Coffee Shop Cruise Vision Award – Adventure Canada Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador, the provincial tourism industry association, is dedicated to advancing growth in tourism through advocacy efforts, skills and knowledge development and membership and networking opportunities. Hospitality NL’s Conference and Trade Show is the largest annual gathering of tourism operators within the province and is taking place in Corner Brook, February 25-27, 2020. Visit www.hnl.ca/conference to learn more! -30- Media Contact: Shanelle Clowe, Manager, Advocacy and Communications Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador P: 709-722-2000, ext. 231 C: 709-325-1040 E: sclowe@hnl.ca |
| Background H. Clayton Sparkes Accommodator Award of Excellence Presented to: Bonne Bay Inn and Seaside Suites The H. Clayton Sparkes Accommodator Award of Excellence has been put forth by the Sparkes family in recognition of the contribution their father made to the tourism industry in Newfoundland & Labrador. This award recognizes an individual or company in the accommodations sector within the province who exhibits a dedication to quality service, a commitment to the tourism industry and makes a solid contribution to the communities in which they live. These are all qualities of Clayton Sparkes and our family deemed it fitting that an award recognizing these characteristics in others be presented in his name. This award was presented to Bonne Bay Inn and Seaside Suites at the Provincial Tourism Luncheon by Bruce Sparkes on behalf of Clayton Hospitality Inc. CBDC Tourism Business Award of Excellence Presented to: Rafting Newfoundland The CBDC Tourism Business Award of Excellence recognizes businesses that have built a reputation for excelling and continuously improving upon all areas of operations – customer service, human resources and business results. Not only does the business excel in its operations, but they see themselves as having an important role in improving the tourism industry of Newfoundland and Labrador. This award was presented to Rafting Newfoundland at the Tourism Excellence Awards Gala by Roseanne Leonard and Rachelle White, NL Association of CBDCs. BDC Tourism Innovator Award Presented to: Tour Gros Morne The Tourism Innovator Award recognizes an individual or company that has developed a tourism business, product, or an unconventional approach to an existing market. This may be a new or a long-standing business that is taking an innovative approach and fostering a positive impact on the tourism industry in Newfoundland and Labrador. This award was presented to Tour Gros Morne at the Tourism Excellence Awards Gala by Vanessa Power from BDC. Tourism Champion Award Presented to: David Hayashida and Linda Yates, Kings Point Pottery This award is presented to an individual, company or organization that has worked diligently to ensure that the tourism industry prospers, and as such, has given freely of their time and energy to champion the interests of and enhance the tourism industry. This award was presented to David Hayashida and Linda Yates, Kings Point Pottery at the Tourism Excellence Awards Gala by Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador. Tourism Corporate Partner Award Presented to: Tourisme Saint-Pierre et Miquelon This award recognizes a business-to-business partner that has been successful in developing creative and effective alliances within the tourism industry that improve Hospitality NL’s ability to meet its mission. This award was presented to Tourisme Saint-Pierre et Miquelon at the Tourism Excellence Awards Gala by Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador. Cultural Tourism Award – presented by Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation Presented to: Bell Island Community Museum & No. 2 Mine Tour The Cultural Tourism Award is presented by Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation – to an individual or organization that is promoting the innovative pursuit of cultural expression within the tourism industry. This award was presented to the Bell Island Community Museum & No. 2 Mine Tour at the Provincial Tourism Luncheon by The Honourable Bernard Davis, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation. Bed & Breakfast Award of Excellence – presented by Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador Presented to: Inn at Happy Adventure Presented by the Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador, This award will recognize an individual or company in the Bed & Breakfast sector within the province who exhibits exceptional dedication to quality service and outstanding commitment to the tourism industry, making a solid contribution to the communities in which they live. This award was presented to Inn at Happy Adventure at the Tourism Excellence Awards Gala by Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador. Sustainable Tourism Award – presented by Hospitality NL and Parks Canada Presented to: Two Whales Coffee Shop This award is presented by Hospitality NL and Parks Canada to the industry operator or organization that has made strides in sustainable tourism practices and continually works toward the protection of our natural and cultural resources. The tourism industry in Newfoundland and Labrador recognizes that the long-term sustainability of tourism depends on the delivery of a high quality product and a welcoming spirit among our employees and our host communities. It depends as well on the wise use and conservation of our natural resources; the protection and enhancement of our environment; and the preservation of our cultural, historic and aesthetic resources. This award was presented to the Two Whales Coffee Shop at the Parks Canada Luncheon by Parks Canada representatives: Bill Brake and Geoffrey Hancock. Cruise Vision Award – presented by Cruise Newfoundland and Labrador Presented to: Adventure Canada The Cruise Vision Award is presented by Cruise Newfoundland and Labrador to an individual, group or business that has demonstrated a commitment to the provincial cruise industry and has contributed significantly to the growth of the cruise industry in Newfoundland and Labrador. This award was presented to the Adventure Canada at the Tourism Excellence Awards Gala by Cruise Newfoundland and Labrador. |