26.QANTAS AWARD FOR
EXCELLENCE IN SUSTAINABLE
TOURISM
This category is open to tourism operators that exemplify a strong commitment to
innovative sustainable business practices with a strong focus on triple bottom line
metrics.
The ‘business profile’ below is to provide the judges with a snapshot of the size
of your business and to provide a context for the judges’ deliberations as they
assess the submission. This should be completed on a separate page and will not
be counted as a page in the formal submission.
BUSINESS PROFILE
How long has your
business been operating?
Which Accreditation
Programs do you
participate in?
How many staff do you
employ?
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Full Time =
Part Time =
Casual =
Volunteers =
TOURISM EXCELLENCE (20 marks)
a) Provide a general overview of the nature and history of your business/product.
You must demonstrate your eligibility for entry in this category as outlined in the
descriptor above. (3)
b) Describe the key features of your business plan and how you have embedded
sustainability principles and practices. (5)
c) Who are your target markets and how did you identify them? (3)
d) Describe how your business/product is competitively positioned and
differentiated in the marketplace through your sustainability philosophy. (5)
e) Describe your marketing strategies and how you use your distinctive difference
to attract your target markets. (4)
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NSW Tourism Awards Categories 2015
TIPS:
a) Consider stating where you are located geographically and including a picture
to help judges visualise your business.
b) Include your business vision for sustainability, noting the descriptor within your answer.
Explain what trends you are tapping into in the marketplace and how you use ideas,
destination or site attributes and services to provide an experience that is hard to match or
copy by others. What gives you your competitive edge? Are you using your sustainability
attributes as a point of difference for your business?
c) Remember to ensure that your marketing strategies are in line with the ACCC’s
‘green marketing guidelines’. Consider all arms of marketing (e.g. sales,
advertising, public relations, word of mouth and e-marketing) where appropriate.
Your objective should be to demonstrate a clear plan supported by market
research and the results achieved.
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FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY (20 marks)
a) Demonstrate your financial viability and growth and, if applicable, how
sustainable practices have enhanced your business profitability. Also, provide
any evidence of triple bottom line (or similar) metrics. (10)
b) Describe the sustainability risks you have identified for your business and the
specific risk mitigation strategies you have put in place. (10)
TIPS:
a) Would benefit from the inclusion of graphs illustrating these results within your
answer. If you are a recent start-up business, you may not be achieving viable
cash flows at this point in time, but you should demonstrate whether you are on
track with respect to your forward business plan’s anticipated cash flows. If you
are a ‘not-for-profit’ business you should demonstrate the means of ensuring the
sustainability of a positive financial position.
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ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY (20 marks)
a) Outline how you measure, analyse and report your environmental impacts (e.g.
energy, water, waste etc.). In particular, highlight the use of any accredited
methodologies or independent verification of processes and data. (6)
b) Quantify your environmental impacts and how these have changed over time.
Outline any targets to reduce these going forward. (6)
c) Provide evidence that you have implemented initiatives to address your
business’ material environmental impacts and the outcome from each initiative.
(6)
d) Describe how you engage and communicate to your staff and customers to
ensure they support your sustainability vision and initiatives and adapt their
behavior accordingly. (2)
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NSW Tourism Awards Categories 2015
TIPS:
a) Describe the process through which you identify your environmental impacts.
The purpose of this question is to illustrate that your business takes a
systematic and methodical approach to understanding your environmental
impacts. The use of accredited methodologies and/or independent
verifiers/auditors will strengthen your response.
b) Environmental data and targets are often best illustrated using tables
and/or graphs.
c) The judges are looking for evidence that your business has identified and
implemented initiatives based on your largest and most material environmental
impacts (i.e. those identified in Part b).
d) Think about how you influence the behaviour of staff and customers to support
your environmental vision and targets
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COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY (20 marks)
a) Provide any evidence that your business or product (i) adds value to the
destination experience of the area; (ii) contributes to local community
development (including employment, local products and services) and will
continue to do so into the future. (10)
b) Describe how your business or product reflects and respects local culture and
communities. (10)
TIPS:
a) Consider how your product is linked to and ‘bundled’ with complementary
experiences and products to create a more appealing destination to increase
lengths of stay.
a) (ii) With regard to the use of local products and services, this could include
food and beverage suppliers, service providers, trades people, and local
building material. With regard to employment, benefits could include
apprenticeships, in-kind contributions, ratio of local residents employed,
partnerships with community-based organisations etc. Consider how your
business/product inspires young people to adopt practices for ongoing
sustainability into the future and how your business has contributed to
regional economic prosperity.
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INNOVATION (20 marks)
a) Describe any innovative sustainability practices that you have introduced that
are unique to your business that may position you as a role model for the
industry. (12)
b) Detail your sustainability plans for the future. (8)
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NSW Tourism Awards Categories 2015
TIPS:
a) This question is designed to give entrants the opportunity to detail specific
innovations in their business which set a leadership example in
sustainable tourism.
b) Do you have a sustainability roadmap or management plan to further develop
or continuously improve your business’ sustainability?
TOTAL SCORE: _____/100
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NSW Tourism Awards Categories 2015