Digital Innovation Asia (DIA)

The second Digital Innovation Asia Awards (

www.DIAawards.com), recognizing the most innovative, creative, and performance-driven e-tourism initiatives in Asia. The DIA Awards presents awards for the tourism industry, as well as for the first time this year for bloggers.

Recognizing the most effective digital initiatives in Asia with the E-Tourism Asia

Award, as well as the most impactful digital innovation with the Digital Innovation Award, the awards also recognize citizen journalists for telling their travel stories online. Many travellers share their stories, photos, and even videos about their travel experiences on the internet. This information is widely used and trusted by consumers in their travel research. We want to salute the most intriguing and captivating moments of travel stories in the Asia Pacific region by awarding the Blogger MatchUp Award.

By awarding the Digital Aid Award, the DIA Awards also recognize the most socially responsible

digital initiative in an effort to drive sustainable tourism practices by leveraging digital, social, and mobile, and in order for the tourism industry to innovate and become more centric by leveraging new media and emerging technologies, not just for sales, distribution, and marketing efforts alone.

Due to the growing importance of the China Outbound Tourism Market, the DIA Awards recognize the

most relevant digital initiative marketing to Chinese consumers, from website, to online campaign, social media initiative, and mobile app with the E-Tourism China Award.
Digital innovations are driven by leaders that not only have vision, but also have the ability to execute. That's the reason why this year, the DIA Awards recognize the Top 5 Digital Innovators in Asia. These individuals can be corporate leaders, exceptional entrepreneurs, or driven consultants, but they are all individuals that have set a new benchmark for the industry through their efforts.

The Awards categories include:

MOST IMPACTFUL DIGITAL INNOVATION (DIGITAL INNOVATION AWARD)

This award recognizes online travel ventures that have leveraged technology in innovative ways in

order to develop tourism, enhance the travel experience, improve guest services, and drive consumer engagement.

WHO: Any organization serving the travel and tourism industry in Asia Pacific, from online travel start-

ups, digital agencies, and travel technology companies based in Asia Pacific

MOST ENGAGING DIGITAL PRESENCE (E-TOURISM ASIA AWARD)

This award recognizes the most viral campaign, most engaging website, most innovative mobile

application, or most creative use of social media, promoting Asia Pacific as a tourism destination.

WHO: Any business to consumer travel and tourism organization, from hotels, airlines, cruises,

attractions, shopping, tourist boards, online travel agencies, and tour operators operating products and services in Asia Pacific, and are based in Asia Pacific.

MOST RELEVANT CHINESE DIGITAL PRESENCE (E-TOURISM CHINA AWARD)

This award recognizes the most relevant mandarin-language website, most creative use of Mainland

China social media, or most impactful campaign, marketing to Chinese consumers.

WHO: Any business to consumer travel and tourism organization, from hotels, airlines, cruises,

attractions, shopping, tourist boards, online travel agencies, and tour operators marketing to Chinese consumers, based outside Mainland China.

MOST SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE DIGITAL INITIATIVE (DIGITAL AID AWARD)

This award recognizes the most impactful and creative campaign, venture, or initiative in promoting

and stimulating responsible and sustainable tourism development in Asia Pacific, as well as social and community-based tourism practices, and engaging consumers in being more conscious travelers.

WHO: Any business to consumer travel and tourism organization, from hotels, airlines, cruises,

attractions, shopping, tourist boards, online travel agencies, and tour operators operating products and services in Asia Pacific, and are based in Asia Pacific, as well as any organization serving the travel and tourism industry in Asia, from online travel start-ups, digital agencies, and travel technology companies based in Asia Pacific.

MOST CAPTIVATING DIGITAL STORY TELLING (BLOGGER MATCHUP AWARD)

This award recognizes the most riveting digitally published storytelling piece, from blog post, video,

photo, review, and audio, discovering new and exciting destinations in Asia Pacific.

WHO: Any citizen journalist and digital self publisher, from bloggers, instagrammers, hotel reviewers,

video bloggers, micro bloggers, and other forms of content publishing on social networks, from all over the world.

THE TOP 5 DIGITAL INNOVATORS IN ASIA

The Top 5 Digital Innovator Award recognises outstanding individuals that have showed innovation,

creativity, leadership, and commercial impact, as well as achievements in challenging situations. The Top 5 Digital Innovators are our annual hot list of leaders that have truly raised the bar for the travel and tourism industry in Asia Pacific when it comes to digital innovation.

"Unlike other awards, we keep nominations free as we believe in the importance of recognizing,

learning, and celebrating the most inspiring digital innovations and innovators in the travel and tourism industry," says Jens Thraenhart, Founder of Digital Innovation Asia. Nominations are accepted until May 1, 2014 at www.DIAawards.com – and public voting of the finalists will commence from May 15-25, 2014. The Winners will be recognized in an energetic and fun Awards Party on June 2, 2014 at a new nightlife venue in Bangkok, Thailand, during DIA THAILAND 2014 on June 2-3, 2014, hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, in partnership with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). DIA THAILAND 2014 will host the second Blogger Matchup Speed-Dating event, connecting 30 travel brands with 30 travel bloggers, and hands-on practical digital knowledge to educate the travel and tourism industry on social, mobile, and distribution, as well as China marketing.

About the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO)

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) - comprising Cambodia, Yunnan and Guangxi provinces in China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam, is one of the world's most dynamic tourist destinations. The six GMS governments established the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) in 2006, as a tourism collaboration framework, with its objective to develop and promote the Mekong Region as a single tourism destination. MTCO's role is to coordinate activities that boost tourism's contribution to inclusive economic growth and environmental sustainability in the GMS. The MTCO work plan is guided by the GMS Tourism Working Group (TWG), which is made up of senior representatives of the National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) of the six member countries. MTCO activities are supported by the Asian Development Bank. Please visit www.MekongTourism.org for more information.

Jens Thraenhart
Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO)