Although 2020 was a year most people wanted to forget, 2021 was another unusual year when things didn’t go quite according to plan for many of us. Yet we soldiered on and made the most of things. The hospitality, travel and tourism industry was one of the worst-hit global sectors through the pandemic (and continues to be), but that didn’t stop various stakeholders from delivering a stellar and consistent product in 2021. While some businesses closed their doors permanently, others reopened or started afresh. Many had to retrain newly-hired staff or work to tighter budgets; or had to deal with fewer staff handling an unexpected increase in customers.
The globally-placed Thacks Awards panelists had numerous cancelled travel plans, but this allowed some cities to win more than one Thacks Award including Vienna, Valencia, Dubai and the Cape Town area. The concept for Thacks Awards with each panelist awarding five ‘Top 5’ annual awards globally, also had to move with the times and fewer awards were given. The 16 winners in 2021 have certainly left their mark and deserve their spot in the Thacks Awards ‘Hall of Fame’. From a global award-winning airline to a small wine bar in the Italian truffle region to a worthy restaurant on the outskirts of Sydney, each of the winners met all Thacks Awards categories with the highest scores possible. With travel and hospitality reopening, we believe that 2022 will be an even more interesting and competitive year.
We know that the final 2021 winners were all very worthy and deserve your support more than ever. Some strong contenders who just missed out on 2021 awards were Rovos Rail, who operate ‘the most luxurious train in the world’ in southern Africa and Island Escape by Burasari in Thailand which won various 2020 Design awards but fell short on their overall hospitality offering at the time of visiting. Also, with some global postal hitches from Spain where the awards are sent, some of the 2021 winners received their winning mail notifications a few months later than planned; and some never arrived. But some awards in Spain, Italy and South Africa could be personally delivered.
Travels were cancelled and delayed… but the show must go on.
Highlights and lowlights:
Although panelist trips to Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, France, Greece and Ukraine were cancelled over the past 12 months, besides for home-bases the panelists did make memorable trips to Italy, Holland, Portugal, Austria, Thailand and South Africa through the course of 2021. Three of the panelists visited two of the winners in Vienna together and two of the panelists joined the South African panelist for the festive season in South Africa when omicron caused further travel havoc – but they were able to visit the Top International Eatery, Rust en Vrede, for their phenomenal ‘Estate Experience’ together before one of the panelists caught covid. Return flights to Europe were cancelled (and one diverted to Mexico) but this allowed the panelists to experience more of South Africa’s fantastic underrated food and beverage scene.
Why is it so great to win a Thacks Award?
The globe-trotting panelists all have a fine and discerning eye for quality. Being ‘Awarded’ can mean many things to a business – but when it’s objective, honest, not influenced and not paid-for, then it’s a business that fully deserves your support and the special mention. How many of the 2021 winners have you visited? If any of these are local to you, please make an effort this month… and share your experience on the Thacks Awards Facebook page to help continue giving thanks.
SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2021 WINNERS HERE.
MEET THE INTERNATIONAL PANELISTS HERE.
READ ALL THE BLOG POSTS HERE.
Thacks Awards 