INTRODUCTION FROM THE MINISTER OF TOURISM Minister of Tourism Hon Mark Burton I am delighted to have the opportunity to once again introduce the entry criteria for the 2005 New Zealand Tourism Awards. These awards embody our vision for the future of New Zealand tourism. They are about celebrating quality, best practice, and customer service. They are a celebration of the very thing that the New Zealand Tourism Strategy identified as a key to a sustainable and successful tourism industry - a focus on meeting or exceeding the expectations of customers. They are about rewarding those operators who go the extra distance to make sure their guests enjoy their New Zealand experience—100 percent. The New Zealand Tourism Awards are about success, and they reflect back positively onto the industry as a whole. As Minister of Tourism, I have seen first hand the positive results for businesses around the country that have followed recognition in the New Zealand Tourism Awards. I am looking forward to once more being involved in the Tourism Awards announcements, and I encourage all tourism operators to consider entering the New Zealand Tourism Awards 2005.