A highly regarded member of Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT), The Plantation, is on track to win more awards after it was announced last week that the premier venue has been shortlisted for prestigious tourism industry prize, the Welcome Awards 2011.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have been recognised not only by the industry, but by our customers,” said Sarah Dirsuwei, co-owner of The Plantation. “Our philosophy is to treat every person who comes through our gates as royalty.”
The Welcome Awards recognize tourism businesses, operations and individuals that not only act as excellent hosts, but also raise the levels of customer service and provide authentic South African experiences. The Plantation is nominated in the MESE (Meetings, Exhibitions and special events venues) category.
“Customer service is measured by everyone who comes through our gates, not only the people who are hosting an event, but all those attending the venue. Basically this nomination and short-listing speaks volumes about our hands-on, passionate and hard-working staff,” said Dirsuwei. Running a top-notch venue is a whole group effort and it is thanks to the all the staff working at every level – from our function coordinators and operations team to our staff of chefs and waiters – that we have been recognised as a venue that provides excellent service.”
NMBT has praised the eminent venue for is consistency in delivering the best services to its clients – a commitment that has won it the accolade of top South African wedding venue two years in a row.
“Once again The Plantation is living up to its excellent reputation – we congratulate them on their nomination and are hopeful that they will secure the MESE prize for themselves and for the city,” said Titus Chuene, NMBT marketing manager. “The more venues that strive for these standards, the greater the impacts will be for the city. One of our key focuses at NMBT is to raise the city profile when it comes to the meetings industry, so accolades like this contribute to the overall credibility of Nelson Mandela Bay as a key meetings destination.”
The aim of the Welcome Awards is to enhance visitor experience, encourage service excellence and recognize organisations and individuals in South Africa who raise the standard of customer service, thereby ensuring that the industry and country will experience longer and repeated visits by tourists, while turning guests into brand ambassadors.
The awards are open to the following tourism categories: Accommodation, Tour Operators, Tour Guides, Tourist Attractions; Travel Agencies, Restaurants, MESE (Meetings, Exhibitions and special events venues), Car Rental and On-line services. Entrants are judged on their ability to identify and meet visitor expectations. This includes price, living up to advertising claims and satisfying visitor expectations created by references.
Overall category winners in each category will share prizes valued at over R600 000 in exclusive marketing and promotional exposure.
Alan Straton
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