Chief Executive of QTIC, Daniel Gschwind said, “The awards recognise and reward innovation and growth across the Queensland tourism industry. It provides an opportunity for businesses to showcase their innovative ideas, projects, processes and encourages product development and improvement”.
The 2019 Prize for Innovation winner was Travello, a social network for travellers, used in over 180 countries with active users growing by 25% each month.
CEO and Co-Founder of Travello, Ryan Hanly said, “It is incredibly exciting to win this award. The standard of entrants was really high, so for us to take it out is a huge credit to our team.
“I think what sets us apart is that we are doing things quite differently to most of the traditional industries in Queensland. We are still a young company and we are approaching things from a different angle.
“I think it is a great award to enter. Some awards can be particularly hard and time-consuming, but this was a relatively quick and painless process. The industry credibility you get far outweigh the effort to apply, so I highly encourage everybody to give it a go”.
The Prize for Innovation Runner-Up, Harvey Bay Visitor Information Centre, was just as pleased with their result and credited the amazing staff for their hard work and commitment to the team.
Harvey Bay Visitor Information Centre, Services Manager, Andrew Ellis said, “It is nice to be recognised by your peers. The award itself will continue to motivate staff and it keeps us on our toes”.
The Climate Change Innovator was a newly introduced category to recognise effort in addressing one of the greatest global challenges.
This year it was awarded to Reef Restoration, an organisation which has established an ocean-based coral nursery that grows coral three to seven times faster than coral that grows on the reef.
A representative from Reef Restoration, Sophie Allen, was very proud to accept the award on behalf of the organisation.
“It is really exciting to be recognised at this level in this competition. This award gives us the visibility and the resources to take us to the next step,” said Ms Allen.
A wonderful event to celebrate World Tourism Day. A special thanks to the sponsors of the event; Queensland Government, The University of Queensland, UQ Business School, Westpac, Fun Over 50, EarthCheck, Riverlife Brisbane and The Calile Hotel.
