Discovery Wildlife Park scooped up another Alberta Tourism award last Monday night in Banff.
“It feels great,” said Doug Bos, owner, of getting called to accept his award from Tourism, Parks and Recreation Minister Jack Hayden on Oct. 24.
“This is our second Alto Award. We (also) won a platinum CAEP award for marketing last year. This shows we’re doing a lot and it’s nice to get the recognition,” he said.
The award, known as an Alto, showcases excellence across the Alberta tourism industry and was one of eight presented.
The park was recognized in the sustainable tourism category. Bos provides homes for animals in crisis, orphaned in the wild or from other zoos that have had to close their doors. Buildings and exhibits are made from used materials, and composting of organic material and recycling of plastics and cardboard is practised. The park doesn’t receive government funding and is self-sustainable, using revenue from admission, food and gift shops, to go towards animal care.
The awards were presented at the Banff Springs Hotel. The other categories included Alberta pride, friends of tourism, marketing excellence over $5,000 and under $5,000, marketing partnership and service excellence.
The finalists and winners were determined by independent evaluation by a team of 24 industry volunteer judges.
