Grenfell and Kiama big winners at AHA NSW Women in Tourism event

An 18-year-old part-time waitress from Grenfell’s Railway Hotel is this year’s winner of the AHA NSW Women in Tourism and Hospitality Scholarship.

A stunned Henry Lawson High School student Danica Perceval received the $20,000 prize from Australian of the Year - media legend - Ita Buttrose, AO, OBE in front of a crowd of more than 400 people at Doltone House, Hyde Park yesterday.

Runner-up Lauren Johnson of Kiama was also all smiles when she received a special scholarship to attend The Hotel School Sydney while the remaining two finalists Rachael McKellar of Grenfell and Simone Marree King of Gunnedah were awarded $5000 each in bursaries by AHA NSW.

Danica Perceval will now undertake a three-year Bachelor of Business in International Hotel and Resorts Management at the prestigious Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (BMIHMS). The scholarship will be used to fund residential costs.

“I’m really, really excited by this – it was so unexpected,” she said.

“This opens up the future for me – the sky’s the limit. I would just like to thank everyone involved.”

AHA NSW CEO Paul Nicolaou said all four young women would have a great future in hospitality.

“Women in Tourism is an incredibly worthy event – it’s all about recognising the effort women put into our industry in regional areas and giving a little something back,” he said.

“I would like to congratulate all four women and wish them all the best in their studies, and, indeed, welcome them to the tourism and hospitality industry. I would also like to thank BMIHMS and The Hotel School Sydney for their support for this initiative.”

Last year’s winner was Ashleigh Smith of Jamberoo.

Source: Australian Hotels Association, NSW, 23 August 2013