International Toilet Tourism Awards: tickled by the sights while you tinkle
I love this story. As a mom, my family teases me that I’ve memorized the locations of all the publicly accessible bathrooms on the island. Or, I have an amazing radar for finding one. Ha!!
Carolyn Childs and Bronwyn White created the International Toilet Tourism Awards for creative rest stops used by tourists around the world. I guess you could call it Wee are the World! Urine Nation!
Do you have a submission? May 1 is the final day for entries.
The awards seek to flush out tourist toilets that have the best location, best design, offer the quirkiest toilet experience, are the most accessible, or have been the best economic contributor to a locality – i.e. you spend more than a penny when you pull over for a tinkle.
Last year’s overall winner was a portable loo provider who sets up country fairs in Queensland, Australia with toilets designed as rustic English cottages and red London phone boxes.
“This year we’re seeking new entrants who bring a breath of fresh air to the tourist toilet experience,” says White, co-founder of MyTravelResearch.com, which created the awards to show the close link between good public toilets and a successful tourism economy.
“We aim to show tourism destinations that creative, clean, quirky toilets go a long way to boosting a destination’s image and generating tourism dollars,” she explains.
Since being hailed overall winners last year, public event organisers in Queensland have been bursting to use Toowoomba Portable Toilets, especially their Dunnies with a Difference range.
Judges will announce new winners by the end of May. The overall winner will receive a $2,000 prize to be donated to a worthy sanitation cause in their name. They will also receive an extensive choice of tourism industry insight reports by MyTravelResearch.com.
“The door is open for new winners to ascend the throne and make a splash,” says Childs, co-creator of the awards and co-founder of MyTravelResearch.com, along with White.
All toilets used by tourists can be nominated, including those in tourism attractions, sight-seeing locations, national parks and reserves, theme parks, restaurants, pubs, and hotel outlets that are open to the public.
Nominations for the awards are free and can be made online here through May 1. A list of 2017 winners and background information is available here.
The loo-vre, it’s not, but it is certainly very amusing. Don’t stall. Enter now! Urine good company! Pee-ce out!
OK. I’ll stop with the bad puns now.
