Owen River Lodge has been selected as a finalist in the 2018 New Zealand Tourism Awards, the $36 billion-dollar tourism industry’s most prestigious awards.
The five-star fly fishing lodge borders the Kahurangi National Park and is a mecca for brown trout with 29 rivers and streams accessible within a 90-minute drive.
It’s the first fishing lodge to have been a finalist, with owner and general manager Felix Borenstein adamant its success is largely due to the staff.
“This wonderful accolade is absolutely a result of the sensational, talented and dedicated group of Kiwis who choose to work and guide at Owen River Lodge,” says Felix.
Chris Roberts, chief executive of Tourism Industry Aotearoa, responsible for the awards, says, “These prestigious awards celebrate the industry’s success and recognise the individuals and businesses doing an outstanding job, providing employment and generating wealth in communities throughout the country. We are also seeing a commendable trend of tourism businesses committing to all aspects of sustainability.”
Felix is hoping Owen River Lodge’s strive for excellence will be recognised at the award’s black-tie dinner in Christchurch on Thursday, September 6.
“Quality and absolute focus on guest customer service is the cornerstone of what we do at Owen River Lodge, it underpins everything we do and every decision we make,” says Felix.