Nominations open for sports tourism awards for 2019
NOMINATIONS for the Fourth Philippine Sports Tourism Awards (PSTA) are underway despite the inactive sports scenario because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Organized by Cebu-based Selrahco Management and Consultancy Services and Supported by the Department of Tourism and the Philippine Sports Commission, the awards honor sports groups, private entities and government agencies based on events organized or hosted in 2019.
Categories for nominations are Sports Tourism Destination of the Year, Sports Tourism Organizer (private and government), Sports Tourism Event (domestic and international), Sports Tourism Sport Association, Sports Tourism Destination Marketing, Sports Tourism Hotel, Sports Tourism Event Sponsorship, Sports Tourism Charity Event, Sports Tourism Airline, Sports Tour Operator, Adventure Event, Sports Venue, Sports MICE Event,and Sports Media Coverage.
Two special awards will also be given to prominent sports personalities in the private and government sector.
The only one of its kind in the country, PSTA encourages professionalism in the planning and management of sporting events to help promote tourism.
According PSTA founder and president Charles Lim, Clark Special Economic Zone and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) have been encouraged by the sports community to jumpstart the recovery of the sector, being among the areas with very low incidence of Covid-19 due to its strict health protocols.
Lim said that the awards will help the two business enclaves reclaim their standings as premier sports tourism hubs in the region for having co-hosted the 30th Southeast Asian Games last year.
Clark and Subic are prioritizing health safety for athletes, organizers and stakeholders, with the guidance from the Inter Agency Task Force, Philippine Sports Commission and the Department of Tourism.
“Despite the setbacks we experienced in the past months, the tourism industry activities in Clark will soon rise once more to show what made it the sports tourism destination of the year for two years,” Clark Development Corp. President Noel Manankil said.
“The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority believes that as resilient as the Filipinos are, tourism will spring back to the heights it has reached before as one of the country’s most popular destinations,” said SBMA Chair Atty. Wilma Eisma, who expressed optimism in resuming several events after its quarantine status has been reclassified.
Previous PSTA awardee events and organizers include Ironman 70.3, Sunrise Events, Philippine Football Association, Tabuelan 111, Sunpiology, Ceres Football Club, Fat Boys 10s Rugby and the Philippine Inter-island Sailing Federation.
Government awardees are Clark Development Corp., SBMA, Province of Cebu, City of Davao, City of Dumaguete and the Municipality of Lubao (Pampanga).
Institutional recipients are Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Resorts World Manila, Shangri-la’s Mactan Resort and Spa and the Automobile Association Philippines.
For more information on the PSTA nominations, email gabe.selrahco@gmail.com or contact 0906-4067051 or 0949-4628108.