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The New Zealand Tourism Awards have again recognised industry excellence with a hotel group that is excelling as an employer and in environmental sustainability being named as the winner of the tourism industry’s highest accolade, the Air New Zealand Supreme Tourism Award.

Sudima Hotels were also named as the winners of the Tourism Talent Employer of Choice Award and the Enviro-Mark Solutions Environmental Award at a gala dinner in Christchurch last Thursday evening (24th October) in front of an audience of more than 400 industry stakeholders.

Starting as a family business, Sudima has expanded rapidly, with four properties in Auckland, Rotorua and Christchurch, including the recently opened Sudima Christchurch City.

Tourism Industry Aotearoa Chief Executive Chris Roberts says creating a tremendous staff culture has been integral to Sudima’s success, advising “the judges described Sudima CEO Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala as a visionary in his people approach which is best summed up as ‘look after your people and they look after your business’. The results are showing in Sudima’s exceptionally strong staff retention rates.”

Sudima Hotels receives a prize valued at over $20,000, including $10,000 international air travel and a full-page advertisement in Air New Zealand’s Kia Ora magazine.

Tourism’s most prestigious individual honour, the Horwath HTL Sir Jack Newman Award, went to Glenys Coughlan (pictured), who has enjoyed a stellar career in tourism having led organisation change and industry transformation initiatives at national and regional levels.

Her roles have included high profile management positions at Air New Zealand, New Zealand  Tourism Industry Association (now Tourism Industry Aotearoa), Positively Wellington Venues and Tourism Central Otago. 

Coughlan also has extensive governance experience, serving on numerous tourism boards, including Tourism New Zealand, Te Papa, Dunedin Venues Management, ATEED and Sounds Air. She has chaired Positively Wellington Tourism, the PATA New Zealand Trust and Outward Bound New Zealand.

Roberts says this year’s Awards were extremely competitive, a reflection of a thriving industry that is providing economic, environmental and social benefits to New Zealanders and Aotearoa.

The 2019 Awards were updated to align with the New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment, recognising environmentally sustainable and financially successful tourism businesses that embrace kaitiakitanga. Three new awards - for Community Engagement, Employer of Choice, and Economic Success - attracted strong interest from entrants.

More than 110 tourism businesses and individuals entered the awards. They were whittled down to 37 finalists from around New Zealand.

2019 New Zealand Tourism Awards winners

Air New Zealand Supreme Tourism Award Tourism Talent Employer of Choice Award Enviro-Mark Solutions Environmental Award 
• Sudima Hotels 
 
Horwath HTL Sir Jack Newman Outstanding Industry Leader Award 
• Glenys Coughlan 
 
Marsh Tourism Industry Champion Award 
• Fergus Brown, Holiday Parks New Zealand 
 
PATA New Zealand Trust Emerging Tourism Leader Award 
• Trent Yeo, Ziptrek Ecotours, Queenstown 
 
Auckland Airport Tourism Sustainability Business Excellence Award – more than $6 million annual turnover 
• Air New Zealand 
 
Tourism Ticker Tourism Sustainability Business Excellence Award – less than $6 million annual turnover 
• Redwoods Treewalk & Nightlights, Rotorua 

Community Engagement Award 
• Stray & Kohutapu Lodge, Murupara 
 
Department of Conservation - Conservation Award 
• Black Cat Cruises, Akaroa 
 
Westpac Economic Success Award 
• Skyline Queenstown 
 
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment Industry Connections Award 
• Development West Coast – Tourism 
 
The Great Journeys of New Zealand Industry Enabler Award 
• Department of Conservation – 2018/19 ‘Kiwi Way’ summer visitor campaign 
 
He Kai Kei Aku Ringa Māori Tourism Award 
• MDA Experiences, Rotorua 
 
Angus & Associates Visitor Experience Award 
• Owen River Lodge, Murchison 
 
NZME People’s Choice Award 
• Forgotten World Adventures, Taumarunui 

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