Audry (seated fourth left), Chua (seated third left) with the representatives of the tourism industry players in Bintulu at the 9th SHTA engagement session.
BINTULU (April 5): Tourism industry players in Bintulu are encouraged to participate in the 9th Sarawak Hornbill Tourism Awards (SHTA) on Sept 27.
The final gala dinner ceremony will be held at Hikmah Exchange Event Centre, Jalan Haji Taha Kuching with Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg as the guest of honour.
Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF) president Audry Wan Ulok said eight main award categories will be contested in this year’s awards.
The eight main awards are Best Tour Operator Tours and Tourist Guide; Best Accommodation; Best Dining, Retail and Recreational Experiences; Best Special Interest Tourism; Best Attractions Experiences; Best Promotion and Social Media Contribution to the Tourism Industry; Best Tourism Events and Festivals Experiences and Special Hornbill Awards.
“There are 27 sub-categories and among those categories the SHTA will feature several new categories to better reflect our commitment to recognising and celebrating excellence across all aspects of the tourism industry,” she said during the SHTA engagement session here yesterday, which was also attended by SHTA organising chairman JC Chua.
She said the new categories include Spa and Wellness, Education and Medical Tourism, Sarawak Malaysia My Second Home (S-MM2H), as well as featuring Best Community Best Tourism Initiative and Special Award for Responsible Tourism.
Audry who is the joint chairman of the event said the 9th SHTA aims to honour five years (2019-2023) of remarkable achievements, with this year’s theme being ‘Wind of Resilience’.
“It symbolises the strength and adaptability demonstrated by individuals and organisations in the face of challenges through the turbulent winds of the global pandemic,” she said.
She pointed out that in the past tourism awards they had very successful submissions and winners from Bintulu especially in accommodation.
According to her, a distinguished panel of 46 judges, from both the public and private sectors, will be presiding over the adjudication process for the awards.
Audry said the recipients of the awards will be rewarded with not only monetary prizes but also prestigious trophies, certificates and extensive media coverage to honour their outstanding achievements.
She said the 9th SHTA opened for nomination about a week ago and to-date 14 submissions have been received.
“Either by self-nomination or by any members of the tourism industry, nominations can be submitted online through our official website (shta.com.my) or mailed to Sarawak Tourism Federation office before the nominations date end on April 30, 2024,” she said.
For any additional information, contact STF Secretariat, Kerimayum Kiding on 012-9840930.
For more information about the SHTA 2024 and to submit nominations, visit https://shta.com.my/.