The Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring, this week urged Mayo tourism businesses to get involved as he officially launched the Irish Tourism Industry Awards 2015, the first national scheme to identify and celebrate those leading lights making a difference in the tourism industry and actively contributing to recent growth in the sector. Rewarding innovation in tourism, significant initiatives at home and overseas and the best examples of improvement to the tourism experience, the Irish Tourism Industry Awards – already dubbed the ‘ITAs’ – seek to identify those players in the tourism sector who have made a difference and are setting an example for the rest of the industry.
Minister Ring said: “This Government recognises tourism as a key sector, driving initiatives that enhance our tourism performance and create further employment. For its part, the industry continues to strive for excellence and value for money in its tourism offering. Our combined efforts are paying off, as evidenced by recent strong performances, but we cannot become complacent.
“With these new awards, we now have a high-profile platform to champion excellence and reward success. Award winners will set the standard for others in the industry to aim for, with their achievements serving as ‘lessons’ in how to get things right. I am sure that there are many such examples in Mayo and I would urge all interested businesses to check out the awards scheme online and think about applying.”
Tourism businesses throughout the country and overseas are being invited to apply and submit their examples under 11 different categories and the ultimate winners will be selected by a high profile panel of experts chaired by Maurice Pratt, chairman of the Uniphar Group, who also previously chaired the last national policy review for tourism. The inaugural 2015 Irish Tourism Industry Awards will be presented at an awards event in April 2015.
