BUSINESS - QUEENSTOWN
In what has been a brilliant year for New Zealand’s oldest guiding company, Queenstown-based Guided Walks New Zealand (trading as Guided Nature Walks) is taking home yet another top travel award.
This time the 145-year-old company has won the ‘2012 Australian Pacific Touring (APT) Operator of the Year’, after earlier this year also taking home the accolade for ‘Best Tour Operator – domestic category’ in the prestigious New Zealand Travel Industry Awards.
Owners Peter and Karyn Hitchman said they were “absolutely delighted” with the APT award, particularly as it is based on feedback from APT tour clients’ and tour guides. It is the second time they have taken out the award, the first time being in 2009.
“We have an amazing team of people who enjoy what they do, and that comes across in every aspect of the business and is reflected in the client feedback we receive,” said Mr Hitchman.
“Accolades such as this show us that we’re very much heading in the right direction. We’d like to thank everyone who voted for us, because as a small family-run company this is a real testament to our business practice and our guides.”
Mr Hitchman said the guides were key to client satisfaction.
“Our guides are all Kiwis and from the areas we walk in, so they have a personal connection with the land and are passionate about it. This shows through in their guiding and because we keep groups small, our guides get to know the people they’re spending the day with and they also get to know us. It’s a real Kiwi experience.”
The APT Group, itself multi-award-winning, is a family-owned business based in Australia with an extensive global portfolio of touring and cruising products. Guided Walks New Zealand is one of their many New Zealand tour attractions and operators.
APT New Zealand Operations Manager Ajay Vagha said the award was not given lightly.
“The award is based on votes from Tour guides, APT NZ management staff, and of course mainly from an analysis of forms filled in by clients,” he said.
“All the feedback we get from clients about Guided Walks New Zealand was positive, and that is in a pool of tens of dozens of reputable national New Zealand attractions that are part of our tours.
“They have a great product and it’s no surprise it’s not their first win. Congratulations.”
Mr Hitchman said as well as client and staff satisfaction, the business philosophy also focused on continual business innovation and protecting the environment for future generations to enjoy. Since taking the helm of the company, Mr and Mrs Hitchman have added innovative new products, including snowshoeing in 2009, heli-snowshoeing in 2012, and last year, ‘You vs Wild’.
Led by Mr Hitchman, a former UK bodyguard and survival expert, You vs Wild gives clients a taste of what it's like to survive off the land, with nothing but a knife, a few things they might have on their person, or items discarded by others.
“’You vs Wild is proving to be a real success story with Kiwi and Australian visitors,” he said.
Aside from the vote of confidence of the awards, Guided Walks New Zealand’s bookings have shown their business philosophy is paying off.
“This year we saw a 30% increase in winter bookings over the same time last year, and spring has been even stronger,” said Mr Hitchman.
“All our bookings are up for summer too so we’re expecting a very strong few months to come. To ensure we maintain our high standards, we’ve brought on more staff to cope with the increase in business and to keep the momentum going.”
The good news does not stop there for the company. Guided Walks New Zealand has now expanded its area of operation to include Fiordland and Mount Cook National Parks and Mr Hitchman said further new products were in the pipeline, including one that would coincide with “trilogy fever”.
Further information on Guided Nature Walks and its products are available on www.nzwalks.com or www.youvswild.co.nz
(Source)