Tourism businesses across the Highlands and Islands have until Friday (August 29) to get their entries in for the region’s largest and most prestigious hospitality and tourism industry awards.

The organisers of the 2008 Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards are calling on tourism operators in the HIE area to ensure they don’t miss the deadline and lose the chance to compete in the 11 award categories including Customer Care, The Green Award, Best Visitor Experience and Community Tourism.

The awards acknowledge the hard work and commitment displayed across the tourism sector in the Highlands and Islands and honour industry players who demonstrate excellence through quality and innovation.

One of the most hotly contested awards is the Highland Young Ambassador of the Year Award. People are the essence of the Highlands and Islands tourism industry, and the industry’s future lies with its young people who have the passion, ambition and dedication to succeed. The award therefore seeks to recognize the vital contribution they make to the industry.

This year’s winner of the Highland Young Ambassador of the Year Award will also receive a mentoring programme coordinated by Springboard, a dynamic organisation which promotes careers in hospitality, leisure, tourism and travel, a Hospitality Industry Trust Bursary, a business mentoring day with the Royal Bank of Scotland, and the opportunity to be ‘mentored’ by a senior industry figure who will help the Young Ambassador to reach his/her career aspirations.

Chair of the Awards Board of Directors Liz Mackintosh commented: “The awards are open to all tourism businesses, individuals and initiatives across the Highlands and Islands, and celebrate the best of the industry in the area. The deadline is looming and but there is still time to submit an entry, and I’d encourage businesses not to hesitate to get involved in submitting an entry for a 2008 award – or more, if applicable.”

Applications should be entered online at www.highland-tourism-awards.co.uk, making this year’s system easier and more environmentally friendly.

The awards winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony and dinner on Friday, 21st November at the Drumossie Hotel in Inverness.

The 11 award categories this year are Best Visitor Experience, Community Tourism, Customer Care, Dining Out Experience, Innovation, The Green Award, Marketing Initiative, New Tourism Business, Tourism People Development, Highland Young Ambassador of the Year and Highland Ambassador of the Year.

For further information on the awards and sponsors, or to enter the awards go to www.highland-tourism-awards.co.uk, call 01224 646488 or email tickets@highland-tourism-awards.co.uk.