Search is on to find the world’s best tourist toilets
The search is on to find the best toilets at tourism landmarks around the world, including the quirkiest toilet experience, best design, and best view.
The Toilet Tourism Awards, launched by research group MyTravelResearch.com, will have six categories:
– Overall Winner
– Best Tourism Economic Contributor, for when people stop at a toilet in a destination and stay on to spend more than a penny
– Best Location, where the toilets have views and maybe considered an attraction in themselves
– Best Design, architectural brilliance in toilets, visual design and creativity
– Best Accessible Toilet
– Quirkiest Toilet Experience, relating to local heritage, fun, or otherwise noteworthy.
"This is the chance for toilet owners in tourism to wipe the floor with the competition," said Bronwyn White, co-founder of MyTravelResearch.com.
"I like to think of the Toilet Tourism Awards as the tourism industry’s own Game of Thrones."
But the awards have a serious side as they are designed to raise awareness of the importance of sanitation safety in developing countries.
According to the United Nations, inadequate toilet facilities cause disease, environmental health challenges, increased mortality, lack of productivity at work and security compromises for women.
With one in 10 people around the world still resorting to open defecation daily, the UN is seeking to create adequate toilet provision for everyone by 2030.
"Our focus is strictly on the overlap between toilets and tourism. That’s where we can make a positive contribution," added White.
Nominations open on November 19, which is World Toilet Day, and submissions close on April 1 2017.
The winners will be announced at the Travel and Tourism Research Association international conference in Quebec, Canada, on June 22 2017.
The Overall Winner will receive a AU$2000 (£1200) donation contributed to World Toilet Day in their name and a copy of every MTR research publication in 2017, worth AU$8000 (£4,800), and access to tourism research events.
Other category winners will receive the same, minus the donation to World Toilet Day.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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