ATEC recognises tourism industry excellence at 2023 Awards and Graduation ceremony

November 10, 2023

Attractions / Hospitality / Tourism / Venues /

The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) has recognised the best of the tourism industry with winners announced at the Meeting Place Gala dinner held at Lot.100 in the Adelaide Hills on 1st November, 2023.

Presented by the Federal Minister for Trade and Tourism, Don Farrell, the ATEC Excellence Awards recognise outstanding industry leaders across several categories including the highly coveted Captain Trevor Haworth Outstanding Contribution to the Tourism Export Industry award which was established in 1981.

Along with the award announcements, over 500 delegates congratulated the 16 graduates of ATEC’s Emerging Leaders of Inbound Tourism Excellence (ELITE) 2023 program. This 7th cohort is the latest group of over 160 young industry leaders to have graduated from the program.

This year, the Captain Trevor Haworth award acknowledged the huge contribution that winner David Thorne has made to the growth and development of the export market for Caversham Wildlife Park. His dedication, commitment, drive and passion have made a significant impact on Australia’s tourism export industry.

ATEC Chairman, Denis Pierce noted “David and his wife Pat founded Caversham Wildlife Park in Western Australia in 1988 and has been a respected mentor, guiding and supporting countless new tourism businesses to become ‘internationally ready’ and never missing an opportunity to sell Australia.

“Well known as a trade-show king, and even though he’s now in his eighties, he’s still on the road, and we are ever grateful for his dedication, passion, generosity of spirit and contribution to our industry.”

This year also saw the introduction of three new award categories with Buyer, Supplier and Partner of the year. Winners included:

Buyer of the Year: Goway Travel
Supplier of the Year: TFE Hotels
Partner of the Year: Tourism Tropical North Queensland
Region of the Year: North Queensland
Outstanding Contribution to ATEC: Sarah Duthie, Sydney Opera House
Len Taylor Young ATEC Award for Leadership: Ashleigh McEwen, Klook
Captain Trevor Outstanding Contribution to the Tourism Export Industry: David Thorne, Caversham Wildlife Park

The ELITE training program is designed to cultivate and empower the next generation of leaders in the Australian tourism industry by fostering innovation though a comprehensive curriculum that blends theoretical knowledge with practical industry insights. Through a series of workshops, mentorship opportunities and immersive experiences, participants gain a deep understanding of the intricacies of inbound tourism, international market trends, and best practices in customer experience management and deliver projects for real life clients who this year included Visit Sunshine Coast and the Adelaide Economic Development Agency.

ATEC congratulates the winners of this year’s awards and the graduates of ATEC’s ELITE program who have set an exceptional standard within the tourism industry, showcasing unparalleled dedication and vision and setting the pace for its future. These people serve as inspiration and encouragement for the continued pursuit of excellence in Australia’s export tourism sector.

Image top: ATEC Annual Meeting Place Gala 2023 group shot; image above: ATEC MD Peter Shelley, Minister Farrell, David Thorne, ATEC Vice Chair Richard Doyle

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