Tourism Saskatchewan has announced the names of 37 finalists for the Saskatchewan Tourism Awards of Excellence for 2011 Yorkton has made the list in two categories!
In total more than 90 nominations were received in the 15 award categories.
The finalists and award recipients will be honoured at the 23 annual Saskatchewan Tourism Awards of Excellence Gala, which will be celebrated on March 22 at the Regina Inn Hotel & Conference Centre in Regina. The recipient of the Chairman's Lifetime Achievement Award will also be announced that night.
"As always, Tourism Saskatchewan looks forward to paying tribute to the remarkable Saskatchewan 'ambassadors' who have been chosen as finalists," Dr. Lynda Haverstock, President/CEO of Tourism Saskatchewan, says.
"With 93 impressive nominations, the Selection Committee faced a challenging task. The volume of submissions speaks to the range and quality of experiences in Saskatchewan, and emphasizes that tourism operators and stakeholders take pride in their work and are committed to a 'Culture of Quality.' Tourism Saskatchewan looks forward to honouring these businesses and individuals for their commitment to a growing, dynamic sector that contributes nearly $1.68 billion to the province's economy and employs 58,000 citizens."
The Saskatchewan Tourism Awards of Excellence finalists are:
Business of the Year Award (Over 50 Full-time Employees): Canalta Hotels, Various locations.
Business of the Year Award (Under 50 Full-time Employees): Gold Eagle Lodge, North Battleford; Redmond House Bed & Breakfast and Dining Establishment, Maple Creek; The Barn Playhouse, Saskatoon.
Event of the Year Award (Budget Over $20,000): Velocity Prairie Thunder - NASCAR Canadian Tire Race Series Event (Auto Clearing Motor Speedway), Saskatoon; Wagon Week (Lloydminster Agricultural Exhibition Association), Lloydminster; Western Canada Farm Progress Show, Regina.
Event of the Year Award (Budget Under $20,000): Dickens Village Festival, Carlyle; Reno Rodeo (Reno Rodeo & Ag. Society), Consul The Gateway Festival (Bengough Municipal Arts Council Inc.), Bengough
Fred Heal Tourism Ambassador Award: Arthur Denis, Champetre County, St. Denis; Neil Thom, Tourism Yorkton, Yorkton.
Gil Carduner Marketing Award (Budget Over $20,000): Canada Nature Escapes Co-operative Ltd., Various partners; PotashCorp Fireworks Festival, Saskatoon; Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival, Saskatoon.
Gil Carduner Marketing Award (Budget Under $20,000): Saskatchewan West Central Tourism Association - Follow the Trails of 1885 Geo Quest, Various locations; Sunset Bay Resort, Christopher Lake; The Great Pumpkin & Scarecrow Festival, Lumsden.
Human Resource Development Award: Gold Eagle Casino, North Battleford; Gold Eagle Lodge, North Battleford; Painted Hand Casino, Yorkton.
Land of Living Skies Award: Ancient Echoes Interpretive Centre, Herschel; Motherwell Homestead National Historic Site, Abernethy; Sturgeon River Ranch, Big River.
Online Marketing Campaign of the Year Award: Diefenbaker Destination Developments - Sask GeoEscapes, Whitecap; Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport - Saskatchewanderer, Regina; SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival, Saskatoon.
Rookie of the Year Award: Cypress Hills Eco-Adventures Ltd., Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park; Mosaic Place Events Centre and Moose Jaw FieldHouse, Moose Jaw; Saskatoon Bicycle Rentals, Saskatoon
Service Excellence Award (Business): Fir River Ranch, Hudson Bay; Limerick Hotel, Limerick; Motherwell Homestead National Historic Site - Day Camp Program, Abernethy.
Service Excellence Award (Individual): Arthur Denis, Champetre County, St. Denis.
Travel Media Award: Explorus Publications - Explore Regina, Regina; Robin and Arlene Karpan (Parkland Publishing) - Saskatchewan's Best Hikes & Nature Walks, Saskatoon; The Star Phoenix - 52 Reasons to Love Saskatoon, Saskatoon.
Tickets for the Saskatchewan Tourism Awards of Excellence Gala are available for $120 (plus GST), or $800 (plus GST) for a table of eight. The evening will start with a cocktail reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by a plated dinner service at 6:30 p.m., and the award presentations at 8 p.m. For more information or to order tickets, visit www.industrymatters.com.
