The Tourism Awards 2006 also saw a number of fresh faces as finalists and winners, reflecting the rejuvenation in the industry as a whole. The Asian Civilisations Museum was a first-time finalist for Best Leisure Attraction Experience category, as was Metro Pte Ltd in the Best Shopping Experience - Department Store category. The Chingay Parade of Dreams 2006 was the first-time winner in the Best Leisure Event Experience category, while Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort Singapore chalked up its first win in the Best Accommodation Experience - Superior Hotel category. New entrant Aramsa Spa, which opened its doors in late 2006, bagged the award for Best Spa Experience.

Past year winners continued to be top performers in their categories, and are industry role models for their continued commitment to service excellence. They include Tangs which won its second consecutive award for Best Shopping Experience – Department Store; Night Safari which won the Best Leisure Attraction Experience for the sixth time; and This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it which won in the Best Accommodation Experience – Standard Hotel category for the second year running.

Public nominations for the Tourism Awards 2006 opened on 3 August 2006, and closed on 30 September 2006. For the first time, nominations could be submitted via Short Message Service (SMS), making it possible for the public to nominate literally anytime and from anywhere. The judging panel comprised representatives from the tourism industry as well as private and public sectors, and the identities of the judges have been kept confidential.

More details on the Tourism Awards 2006 and past Tourism Awards are available at http://www.tourismawards.com.