Judges who last week named Skyline Queenstown's Brad Rowe as Tourism Industry Association (TIA) Tourism Trainee of the Year believe he has potential to be an industry leader.
Mr Rowe (24), Skyline Queenstown's mountain biking co-ordinator, received the honour at the ATTTO (Aviation, Tourism and Travel Training Organisation) A+ industry training awards for the tourism, travel, aviation and museum sectors last Friday.
He also received the ATTTO Modern Apprentice of the Year award.
"It was pretty exciting and it's great to be recognised as a trainee and the only nominee out of Queenstown; it was cool to represent the Southern Lakes," he said.
Mr Rowe was told by judges he had the potential to achieve his dreams of being a tourism leader.
Tourism Industry Association chief executive Tim Cossar, who presented the award, said Mr Rowe was a committed tourism professional who had studied hard.
"He has a 'go for it' attitude, a passion for tourism and has shown strong leadership skills in setting up and managing this new department for Skyline.
"With mountain biking, he is in the right place at the right time in a growing niche market.
I am sure he will achieve great things and go on to hold senior positions in the sector," Mr Cossar said.
ATTTO acting chief executive Kathy Wolfe said Mr Rowe was an example of the kind of innovative, hard-working and capable young people the tourism industry needed coming up through its ranks.
Other A+ award winners included an apprentice travel agent from Auckland, a museum host from Canterbury and an aeronautical engineer from Air New Zealand.
Mr Rowe was one of about 140 tourism industry employees who completed national qualifications through ATTTO in the year ending June 31, 2011, and received a $500 training scholarship and a one-day pass to Trenz 2012.
He said he would put his scholarship towards developing his leadership skills, so he could further help build Queenstown's reputation as an international mountain biking destination.
In particular, he had his eyes on an Outward Bound course, as it is one thing he wants to "cross off the list".
