Travellers urged to help recognise service excellence in accommodation
Announcements
The Lilizela Service Excellence Awards will give guests a voice to rate their experiences and give establishment owners valuable consumer insight
[caption id="attachment_3606" align="alignright" width="300"]
Lilizela Tourism Awards[/caption]
FOLLOWING the launch of the Lilizela Tourism Awards at Indaba 2013, the public is now invited to vote for the accommodation establishments they believe give the best service in South Africa. The Lilizela Service Excellence Awards will identify and reward tourism businesses who work passionately and with pride to help enhance South Africa’s global destination competitiveness.
“South Africa has more than 6 000 star graded establishments. Our star grading and the quality of our offering is of superior standards. However, we need the help of guests who stay at these establishments to let us know if the establishment really does offer what it purports – particularly when it comes to service,” says Thulani Nzima CEO of South African Tourism.
“The Service Excellence category will allow us to find which accommodation establishments are the best and what sets them apart from the rest so we can continue to deliver on our promise of being the a world class destination. The criteria for this are defined by grading body, Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA).”
To vote, people need to log onto www.lilizela.co.za and click on the vote button. Stern measures have been put in place to ensure the process is fair and that people who vote have actually stayed in the establishment. To this end, voters will be required to enter information indicating when they stayed and rate their overall experience, the facilities available and the level of services rendered. The date and length of stay will be verified by the establishment.
“Allowing visitors to rate their experiences and vote for their favourite establishments is not merely ticking the box. We really want to know how consumers find our graded establishments and get a better understanding of what they value,” explains Nzima.
“We also believe that by allowing consumers to vote for their favourite accommodation establishments and share their experience, the owners will gain genuine insights from guests who will in turn allow them to improve their services,” he says.
As an incentive to encourage people to vote, South African Tourism is sponsoring a two- night stay away to one lucky voter whose establishment wins the award. The prize will be redeemable once the final winners are announced at glittering awards ceremony during Tourism Month in September.
“You know that great feeling you get when you have enjoyed superb service and hospitality at the place you chose to stay when you were away from home on holiday or for business? ”
“It’s these feelings that turn an ordinary hotel, lodge or BnB into a truly great establishment: one that pushes South Africa’s global destination competitiveness and makes people long to return again and again to a particular place,” says Nzima.
“The Lilizela Service Excellence Awards afford you, as a guest, the opportunity to help us recognise and reward the establishments that evoke these feelings and make you believe that your money was well worth the investment,” adds Nzima.
The Lilizela Service Excellence category is the only one reliant on guest ratings. Other Lilizela Tourism Award categories are:
1. Minister’s Award
This award will recognise a tourism business or personality who has set the benchmark here at home and globally, and whose work pushes this industry closer to the National Tourism Sector Strategy 2020 vision. The recipient will be chosen by the Minister of Tourism at his discretion. Entries close on 25 June.
2. Lilizela Service Excellence in Accommodation Award
This award is only open to graded establishments and is the only one of the categories reliant largely on guest feedback. The Accommodation sector will be recognised during this first year, with the other service providers and operators to follow next year.
People may vote online on www.lilizela.co.za Establishment owners are asked to encourage their guests to vote for them in order to further their chances of winning. Entries close on 25 June. Public voting closes on 5 July.
3. Lilizela Eteya Award (Emerging Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year Award)
This award recognises black owned SMMEs who have achieved notable success since starting up. Entries for 2013 are closed. However, entries for 2014 will be opened by the Minister of Tourism at the inaugural Lilizela Awards ceremony in September.
4. Lilizela Universal Accessibility
This award is for facilities and services at accommodation establishments and MESE venues which are accessible for people with physical limitations. The standard criteria are those used by the TGCSA that were introduced with the normal quality grading criteria back in 2010. Entries close 25 June.
5. Lilizela Imvelo Award
This award will recognise the business that best incorporates the three development and sustainability pillars into their business operating models and the IMVELO brand will be incorporated accordingly. Entries close on 19 July.
Overall winners from each category will be announced at a ceremony in September 2013, which will be preceded by provincial recognition awards to be handed out at provincial events.
For more information visit www.lilizela.co.za
Lilizela Tourism Awards[/caption]FOLLOWING the launch of the Lilizela Tourism Awards at Indaba 2013, the public is now invited to vote for the accommodation establishments they believe give the best service in South Africa. The Lilizela Service Excellence Awards will identify and reward tourism businesses who work passionately and with pride to help enhance South Africa’s global destination competitiveness.
“South Africa has more than 6 000 star graded establishments. Our star grading and the quality of our offering is of superior standards. However, we need the help of guests who stay at these establishments to let us know if the establishment really does offer what it purports – particularly when it comes to service,” says Thulani Nzima CEO of South African Tourism.
“The Service Excellence category will allow us to find which accommodation establishments are the best and what sets them apart from the rest so we can continue to deliver on our promise of being the a world class destination. The criteria for this are defined by grading body, Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA).”
To vote, people need to log onto www.lilizela.co.za and click on the vote button. Stern measures have been put in place to ensure the process is fair and that people who vote have actually stayed in the establishment. To this end, voters will be required to enter information indicating when they stayed and rate their overall experience, the facilities available and the level of services rendered. The date and length of stay will be verified by the establishment.
“Allowing visitors to rate their experiences and vote for their favourite establishments is not merely ticking the box. We really want to know how consumers find our graded establishments and get a better understanding of what they value,” explains Nzima.
“We also believe that by allowing consumers to vote for their favourite accommodation establishments and share their experience, the owners will gain genuine insights from guests who will in turn allow them to improve their services,” he says.
As an incentive to encourage people to vote, South African Tourism is sponsoring a two- night stay away to one lucky voter whose establishment wins the award. The prize will be redeemable once the final winners are announced at glittering awards ceremony during Tourism Month in September.
“You know that great feeling you get when you have enjoyed superb service and hospitality at the place you chose to stay when you were away from home on holiday or for business? ”
“It’s these feelings that turn an ordinary hotel, lodge or BnB into a truly great establishment: one that pushes South Africa’s global destination competitiveness and makes people long to return again and again to a particular place,” says Nzima.
“The Lilizela Service Excellence Awards afford you, as a guest, the opportunity to help us recognise and reward the establishments that evoke these feelings and make you believe that your money was well worth the investment,” adds Nzima.
The Lilizela Service Excellence category is the only one reliant on guest ratings. Other Lilizela Tourism Award categories are:
1. Minister’s Award
This award will recognise a tourism business or personality who has set the benchmark here at home and globally, and whose work pushes this industry closer to the National Tourism Sector Strategy 2020 vision. The recipient will be chosen by the Minister of Tourism at his discretion. Entries close on 25 June.
2. Lilizela Service Excellence in Accommodation Award
This award is only open to graded establishments and is the only one of the categories reliant largely on guest feedback. The Accommodation sector will be recognised during this first year, with the other service providers and operators to follow next year.
People may vote online on www.lilizela.co.za Establishment owners are asked to encourage their guests to vote for them in order to further their chances of winning. Entries close on 25 June. Public voting closes on 5 July.
3. Lilizela Eteya Award (Emerging Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year Award)
This award recognises black owned SMMEs who have achieved notable success since starting up. Entries for 2013 are closed. However, entries for 2014 will be opened by the Minister of Tourism at the inaugural Lilizela Awards ceremony in September.
4. Lilizela Universal Accessibility
This award is for facilities and services at accommodation establishments and MESE venues which are accessible for people with physical limitations. The standard criteria are those used by the TGCSA that were introduced with the normal quality grading criteria back in 2010. Entries close 25 June.
5. Lilizela Imvelo Award
This award will recognise the business that best incorporates the three development and sustainability pillars into their business operating models and the IMVELO brand will be incorporated accordingly. Entries close on 19 July.
Overall winners from each category will be announced at a ceremony in September 2013, which will be preceded by provincial recognition awards to be handed out at provincial events.
For more information visit www.lilizela.co.za
Latest Articles
