Are you passionate about your new travel endeavor? Do you have an idea that will change the travel landscape?
We talked with @Erika-Richter, Vice President, Communications & Marketing at the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), to learn more about the 2022 ASTA Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
This is a great opportunity for travel advisors, agency owners, travel technology start-ups, travel suppliers, tour operators and more! Entries will be accepted until June 30, 2022.
If you're a travel entrepreneur with a dream, we want to help you make it a reality. Three finalists will join the ASTA in San Francisco on August 26 to participate in a LIVE competition. The winner takes home a $10,000 cash prize!
The Entrepreneur of the Year Award was established in 2015 by the Dan and Gloria Bohan Foundation to promote the entrepreneurial spirit in the travel and hospitality industry through recognition of innovators who have either established their own businesses or who have been responsible for significant entrepreneurial initiatives within an existing organization.
Each year, the Foundation, in conjunction with ASTA staff and membership, selects one person or organization that best exemplifies this spirit of entrepreneurship to receive the Award and a $10,000 cash prize. After a two-year hiatus, the Entrepreneur of the Year Award is back for 2022.
All travel agents, agency managers, suppliers, and others in the travel and hospitality industry are eligible to receive the Award. The competition is open worldwide.
The three finalists will be expected to join the ASTA Global Convention in San Francisco on August 26 to participate in a LIVE competition – scholarship opportunities are available to assist with covering transportation & lodging costs.
Nominees for the Award will be evaluated based on consideration of eight benchmarks demonstrating various aspects of the successful candidate’s innovative and entrepreneurial approach to the business and its future. The benchmarks, in no particular order, are as follows:
1) Sustainability. How many years has the nominee been active in the travel industry? How many consumers or companies use the nominee’s innovative product or service?
2) Evolution. How has the nominee or the nominee’s company adapted to change in the industry or market, and to changes in technology? Why was this important and how was it accomplished? What steps are taken to ensure that the product or service remains relevant?
3) Experiential Travel. Does the nominee’s product or service have an experiential fit, focus or component connecting the experience to history, people or culture? Describe and explain its importance in today’s world and for the future of travel.
4) Proven Impact. How has the product or service already had a demonstrable impact on travelers and the industry as a whole? Why will the innovation continue to impact travelers in the future?
5) Curation. Does the nominee envision himself or herself as a travel curator, one who makes travel more meaningful for the traveler? If so, please tell us and explain why this is important to the nominee.
6) Marketing. Describe how the nominee markets or merchandises its company and its products or services. How does the nominee differentiate itself from others in the industry? Has social media factored into the marketing focus?
7) Growth. Has the innovation had a positive impact on the company’s sales, profitability, or market share? Has the product or service spawned imitators?
8) Technology. Describe the technology behind the product or service. For example, does the solution include the use of mobile apps or similar recent innovations? How has product usability been a factor?
All interested entrepreneurs can learn more about the selection process, the requirements, and any other details at www.astaglobalconvention.org/2022/EntrepreneurAward.cfm
Applications are open until June 30, 2022.
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Hi everyone! Feel free to share this opportunity with all your start-up friends! We're looking forward to supporting travel entrepreneurs from around the globe. The winner takes home $10,000!