Tekapo top tourist spot

FLYING HIGH: Air Safaris won the scenic flights award in this year's Traveller Voted Awards.

Two Tekapo tourism operators have won awards in this year's TravellerVoted Awards.

The awards are run by website Rankers.co.nz, which allows the public to post rankings and reviews of attractions around New Zealand.

More than 4000 businesses qualified for this year's awards, with Tekapo's Air Safaris and Earth and Sky Mt John Observatory named scenic flights winner and scenic attraction winner, respectively.

Earth and Sky Mt John Observatory general manager Margaret Munro said staff were "rapt" with the award, which was their first award ever.

"We have been working hard to promote the star-gazing tours that we have been running and we're seeing great results. We are very, very happy."

Air Safaris founder and chief executive Richard Rayward said the award was a "real bonus".

"We are delighted that the enjoyment and satisfaction we ourselves gain from flying visitors over our alpine areas has provided an experience they have rated so highly with their own reaction and appreciation.

"The team at Air Safaris takes great pride in the operation, and in providing a top product, this recognition is a real bonus."

Cymen Crick, Rankers.co.nz co-owner, said from the past year the site's database had attracted more than 10,000 traveller assessments.

From that, winners were selected in about 40 categories.

Mr Crick's business partner, Nick Morrison, said the pair ran a sea-kayak operation for many years, but decided to sell up and start the website in 2007 as they sensed it to be "the way of the future".

They now had more than 20,000 rankings, with reviews.

"That's a huge resource for New Zealand holidaymakers and overseas visitors. Access to this and more is free on the Rankers.co.nz site," Mr Crick said.

"There's an old saying, `No-one is more honest than the customer'," Mr Morrison said. "Well, these awards come from the voice of the people."

The website offers a section for every sort of traveller, as well as travellers' tips.

Mr Crick said the pair were advocates for New Zealand tourism, and the awards were part of that. "We're proud of them and our role in celebrating the winners and high achievers. We're innovators in the new medium, and Rankers.co.nz is already New Zealand's largest travel review website.

"We just look forward to growing the site, hearing from people or, better still, meeting up," Mr Morrison said.

Meanwhile, Tekapo's Alpine Springs and Spa has been named one of 34 finalists in the 2010 Tourism Industry Awards.

This year's finalists were selected by assessors representing a wide range of industry leaders and specialists.

The winners will be chosen by a panel of judges and announced at a celebration event in Auckland on October 14, attended by Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism John Key.

- © Fairfax NZ News