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The Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC), has celebrated innovative tourism businesses with the announcement of the annual 2016 QTIC Prize for Innovation in Tourism.

Gold Coast-based Newbook eManagement Technology, a cloud based Holiday Park, Hotel, Resort & Apartment Management Reservation System, was selected as the winner of the 2016 QTIC Prize for Innovation in Tourism and will receive $30,000 worth of business support.

Newbook eManagement Technology was recognised for its Interactive SMS system that places tourism operators at the forefront of a global industry with access to technology and innovative features no other Property Management System currently offers. The system features automated SMS messages sent to guests prior to check in and out, departure surveys, promotional upgrades, room security codes and weather warnings.

QTIC member Tourism Tribe, a digital support service and online learning hub for tourism operators, was chosen as Runner Up and will receive free membership to the EarthCheck International Certification program valued at $3,800.

Tourism Tribe was recognised for their creation of a digital learning hub for the tourism industry that bridges the gap between consumer digital trends and industry adoption of technology, bringing together a community of like-minded people, support and learning resources in one place to help often isolated, time-poor small and medium business owners and managers to improve their tourism business.

The prize recipients were announced today - World Tourism Day (Tuesday 27th September), by Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones.

Now in its fourth year, the QTIC Prize for Innovation in Tourism recognises micro* and small to medium* sized Queensland tourism enterprises that have demonstrated outstanding effort in innovation of products, services and processes in Queensland.

Courtesy of the Queensland Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games, Newbook eManagement Technology will receive $30,000 worth of business support and other prizes, including Stages 1 and 2 of the Velocis program delivered by the Australian Institute for Commercialisation.

QTIC Chief Executive Daniel Gschwind congratulated Newbook eManagement Technology and Tourism Tribe for their dedication to foster innovation within the tourism industry.

Gschwind stated “the QTIC Prize for Innovation in Tourism is an opportunity for Queensland tourism businesses to be publicly acknowledged for their dedication to develop products, services or processes designed to drive the industry forward.

“The QTIC Prize for Innovation in Tourism reinforces the importance of continually innovating to drive a competitive industry – an industry that contributes $23 billion in expenditure to the Queensland economy and employs 235,000 people.”

Tourism Minister Kate Jones said innovation played an important role in growing Queensland’s tourism industry, commenting “the Innovation in Tourism prize encourages tourism businesses to develop and adopt innovative tourism products and services.

“New and innovative products will help us improve the visitor experience and attract more visitors to Queensland.”

The 2016 QTIC Prize for Innovation in Tourism was judged by a panel of professionals, including Ron Apelt from the Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games, Professor Trevor Grigg from Carisgold and Adjunct Professor Peter Grant.

In addition to Newbook eManagement Technology and Tourism Tribe, other outstanding tourism businesses that entered the 2016 QTIC Prize for Innovation in Tourism included:

• Gold Coast Skydive, Gold Coast (QTIC member)
• Mountain Wine Tours, Brisbane (QTIC member)
• The Feathered Nest - Luxury Wildlife Retreat, Mackay (QTIC member)
• Tourism Noosa, Sunshine Coast (QTIC member)
• TreeTop Challenge, Gold Coast (QTIC member)
• Cooloola Eco Tours, Sunshine Coast

The announcement of the QTIC Prize for Innovation in Tourism coincided with the global observance of World Tourism Day. This year’s theme for World Tourism Day was ‘Promoting Universal Accessibility’, focusing on the importance and immense benefits universal accessibility has and can bring to society.

QTIC acknowledges the invaluable contribution from our program partners the Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and Commonwealth Games (Queensland Government), Qantas, RACQ, University of Queensland Business School, Advancing Queensland, Riverlife and EarthCheck.

QTIC is the peak industry body for tourism in Queensland.

Image (from left): QTIC's Daniel Gschwind, Brad Illich of Newbook, Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones and Liz Ward of Tourism Tribe.

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