Arival, a global leader in the tours and activities industry, today announced the winners of its first ever Arival TourReview and Arival Spotlight Awards. The winners were announced at Arival 360 | Orlando, in a special award ceremony on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.
The Arival TourReview Spotlight Awards, presented in partnership with TourReview, are based on data aggregated from multiple major review sites, OTAs and millions of customer reviews across the industry. The Arival Spotlight Awards are based on nominations evaluated by an impartial panel of expert judges. The former was the first-of-its-kind for the industry, with results based entirely on market data.
Douglas Quinby, CEO of Arival, said: “We were highly impressed with the quality of entries – and we’re excited to see so many companies pushing the boundaries for the experiences industry. Our winners are the ones taking the biggest risks, innovating with products, breaking down industry barriers, and promoting eye-opening, life-changing cross-cultural exchanges. I congratulate all our winners on being at the forefront of our exciting industry.”
“This year’s winners excelled in customer satisfaction and deserved this prestigious recognition in offering special experiences for all travelers across the U.S.,” said Jose Arozarena, CEO of TourReview. “We are delighted that our platform’s AI and business intelligence helped identify these tour operators across different sectors to ensure transparency in the tourism industry and spotlight their influence. We look forward to seeing these businesses continue to grow and expand their customer-base.”
The Arival TourReview Spotlight Awards winners:
· Category 1: Sightseeing Tours
Small operator winner: SF Excursions
Medium operator winner: Adventure Tours in Motion
Large operator winner: Austin Detours
· Category 2: Culinary Tours & Experiences
Small operator winner: Taste San Diego Food Tours
Medium operator winner: Key West Food Tours
Large operator winner: Vallarta Eats Food Tours
· Category 3: Adventure Tours & Activities
Small operator winner: Laguna Adventures Bacalar
Medium operator winner: Kanab Tour Company
Large operator winner: Charleston Outdoor Adventures
· Category 4: Visitor Attraction
Small operator winner: Capital Prize Gold Mine Tours
Medium operator winner: Safari Zoological Park
Large operator winner: The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum
· Category 5: Day Tours & Excursions
Small operator winner: Beyond Skagway Tours – Private Tours
Medium operator winner: Kailani Tours Hawaii
Large operator winner: Royal Star Hawaii Deluxe Tours
The Arival Spotlight Awards winners:
· Category 1: Tour Innovator: Spinach Tours
Spinach Tours is a one-year-old startup from Portugal that offers self-drive tours in its electric vehicles, along with a technology platform that enables personalized experiences and gamification.
· Category 2: Attraction Innovator: Edge NYC
Edge NYC by Hudson Yards Experiences is an observation deck that aims to be more than just that, with year-round events and experiences focused on social shareability, such as their “Sky Bloom” immersive experience.
· Category 3: Tech Trailblazer: Seattle Ballooning
Seattle Ballooning offers hot air balloon rides in Seattle, WA. They built their own chatbot to respond to customer queries and were quick to jump on board with AI and integrate it into multiple aspects of their company, from operations to back office processes to optimizing conversion rates.
· Category 4: Inclusive Operator: The Flying Bike
The Flying Bike is an electric bike tour company based in Asheville, NC, with a focus on accessibility and inclusivity. They actively hire diverse staff and encourage staff to share their own stories from their BIPOC, immigrant and LGBTQIA+ communities as part of their tours.
· Category 5: Community Engagement / Social Purpose: Phare, The Cambodian Circus & The Blue Yonder
Phare, The Cambodian Circus is a circus attraction and social enterprise based in Cambodia. The circus was originally founded to employ graduates of a non-profit school founded for refugees of the Khmer Rouge war. 100% of the circus revenue goes directly into operations and supporting social causes such as the school.
The Blue Yonder is a tour company and social enterprise founded in Kerala, India. They are focused on offering experiences that immerse travelers in local communities, and contribute to local economies and the climate resilience of destination.
· Category 6: Industry Advancement Champion: Satisfi Labs
Satisfi Labs, based in Florida in the U.S., has developed a conversational AI chat technology with the tourism industry in mind, in particular attractions.
