Iceberg cruising wins tourism excellence award

Iceberg cruising proved to be a winner for the Mt Cook Mackenzie region at last night's South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards.

Iconic Mt Cook tourist attraction Glacier Explorers took out the hospitality and tourism category of the awards.

General Manager Denis Callesen was on hand to accept the award and said it was an honour to win against such stiff competition.

“Three out of four finalists were from the Mackenzie Country so that’s a great testament to the calibre of activities the region offers. 

“We’re blessed with spectacular scenery but we can’t just rely on Mt Cook to bring in the visitors.  It’s important to have a range of unique world-class activities on offer to encourage people to stay longer and experience more.

“Glacier Explorers is one of these activities.  The fact that it’s the only tour of its kind in New Zealand and one of three in the world is a big drawcard for visitors. 

“We place a huge emphasis on giving our passengers a once in a lifetime experience so we’ve worked hard to improve operational efficiency, reduce our environmental footprint and give our guides extensive training.  As a result, we’ve significantly improved our numbers during an economic downturn which isn’t bad going.”

Glacier Explorers has been operating on the Tasman Glacier Terminal Lake in the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park since 1992 and is the sole operator allowed to do so.

The Glacier Explorers boat cruise gives passengers the chance to get up close and personal with New Zealand’s largest glacier and its icebergs via four state-of-the-art boats.  Passengers also get spectacular views of surrounding mountains and some of the best photographic opportunities in the national park.

For more information about Glacier Explorers visit www.glacierexplorers.com.