Queenstown and Fiordland tourism operator Go Orange is celebrating not once, but twice, after winning two national awards in the space of 24 hours.
At a ceremony on the Gold Coast on November 14 won the Best Activity New Zealand award in the 2019 Adventure Tourism Awards across Australia and New Zealand.
In its second year, the awards and associated Youth Tourism Conference are recognised as the industry’s biggest event of the year. They formally recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements of tourism experiences, people and places in both countries.
Just a day earlier in Auckland, Go Orange continued its stellar rise on the New Zealand business radar following its ranking of 30 on the 2019 Deloitte Fast 50. The Fast 50 recognises and ranks the country’s fastest growing businesses and Go Orange claimed 30th place on the register with 236 per cent growth.
It’s the second year in a row it has been recognised on the Fast 50, ranking 37th last year with 209 per cent growth.
Earlier this year, also for the second year, Go Orange was named the Fastest Growing Services Business in Dunedin and the lower South Island at the Deloitte Fast 50 regional celebrations.
Go Orange general manager Luke Taylor says winning the Best Activity award and making it onto the Fast 50 two years in a row are “outstanding results”.
“The Adventure Tourism Award recognises our drive to ‘Go Beyond’ with all our visitor experiences, inspiring them to go deeper, further and beyond the average tourist.
“Our improved Fast 50 ranking is another huge thrill, putting us at 30th among some of the best and brightest businesses in New Zealand, all striving for excellence. It recognises the hard work and dedication of our team across our businesses in Queenstown, Te Anau and Milford Sound.”
While this week’s achievements are ones to acknowledge, Go Orange has already claimed its space as ‘one to watch’ in the tourism industry.
Earlier this year Go Orange was named AWS Legal Fiordland Tourism Operator of the Year, Luke Taylor won Emerging Tourism Leader of the Year at last year’s NZ Tourism Awards, and it was a national finalist in the Humankind Employee Experience Awards.
In the past year the company has launched a new Milford Haven cruise experience in Milford Sound, a Go Orange jetboat experience, a bespoke Unimog fleet for rafting and scenic travel experiences, new kayak trips and a new coach fleet.
Go Orange delivers outstanding New Zealand visitor experiences with cruising, whitewater rafting, jet boating, kayaking and coach connections in Queenstown, Te Anau, and Milford and Doubtful sounds.