This week's Tourism Industry Award received by Lake Wanaka tourism operator, Skydive Wanaka, shows success can be achieved by absolute quality, despite the current tough economic climate, according Lake Wanaka Tourism CEO, John Alldred.

Skydive Lake Wanaka received the prestigious Westpac Small Tourism Operator Award, recognizing it as the best small operator in New Zealand for 2008.

"Times are tough in the tourism industry at the moment but this is an excellent example of a small business that has worked hard to develop a world-class operation, focusing on quality, customer service and individual personal attention, illustrating what can be achieved in what is an extremely competitive environment," said Alldred. "We congratulate their efforts and they have set the benchmark for other small tourism businesses, both here in Wanaka and throughout New Zealand."

Alldred went on to say that over the next two years, it would be businesses with this attitude to quality and customer service that will get through the current economic downturn. "Lake Wanaka Tourism has quality at the core of our strategic plans and we encourage all our members to follow the example set by Skydive Lake Wanaka."

  For further information on the Tourism Industry Awards visit www.tianz.org.nz or visit www.lakewanaka.co.nz.