We have an End of the Year tradition at Temptation Tours where we take some time to reflect upon the year about to end.
We look back on the year’s high points, the new friends we have made, and the great adventures we have hosted. And, we want to look at any areas where we have some fresh ideas on ways to offer even better service!
We have chosen the Hawaiian Value of Kūlia i ka nu‘u* to describe this end of the year process. This ‘Olelo No’eau* was Queen Kapi’olani’s* motto in the late 1800s; which means, “Strive to Reach the Summit.”
She said it often to her people so they could understand her beliefs. She wanted to encourage people to strive and reach the highest they could.
Queen Kapi’olani and King Kalākaua*
The English translation of Kūlia i ka nu‘u speaks of striving to reach the summit. The Queen described this striving as something anyone and everyone could do to achieve personal, life-long excellence.
She believed that most people who value this striving and pursuit find that the most satisfying competition they have is with their former selves.
They consider life and everything within it to be a work in progress. They enjoy the effort and satisfaction of striving to be their personal best. Hard work becomes its own reward when it employs the energy of striving and reaching higher.
Generally, our company’s year of reflection starts with a lovely Holiday Party for all of Temptation Tours employees and their families. It is always a joyful time that we spend together to celebrate our time as ‘ohana*. In our 36 years, our year-end celebrations have been filled with camaraderie and the sharing of great stories. We laugh a lot, dine on ono grindz* and enjoy relaxing and learning more about each other.
In case you want to know more about Ono Grindz:
Read More Now
Although 2020 required different logistics for celebrating within our traditional work environment, we have never lost sight of the fact that we are family and how important it is to perpetuate our friendly and cordial work setting. And to always maintain our customary safe and nurturing environment for all.
This year has had its challenges. And we have taken them in stride, communicating and supporting each other. We have continued to set our sights to strive for the highest peak.
Perhaps the highlight of our year-end celebration is what we call our Award Ceremony.
This is where we take notice and recognize those who have excelled in some way or another. We also recognize the company as a whole, announcing all the different awards and recognition we have received as a team.
We invite you to this blog to share in our travel industry awards that have been bestowed upon us as a team. You are part of our team. A big part of these awards is due to our delighted and grateful customers such as yourself!
It goes without saying that these awards are the result of many people’s efforts and dedication.
We attribute them to our fabulous customers, guests, base yard staff, and our Hawai’i Certified Tour guides. And, lest we not forget, our numerous partner companies who offer many of the special touches we are known for.
And Now, our 2020 Award Ceremony!
A summary of our top awards for 2020:
Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Award to Temptation Tours
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers. All the award-winning businesses come from those companies which are ranked within the top 10% of travel industry companies on Tripadvisor.
We have been a Tripadvisor Hall of Fame Recipient and a Certificate of Excellence holder for six years straight. We know this is a huge accomplishment.
To be inducted into the Hall Of Fame is a great achievement. We relish these challenges to reach new heights of excellence as they bring forth our full enthusiasm and effort, our very best!
It is also our opinion that the Hall of Fame recipients are not publicly celebrated or honored as much as they deserve to be by this incredibly high honor.
This is recognition for being one of the very best in a very competitive field. We believe the handful of businesses who have reached this level of excellence should be recognized more for this achievement.
Lux Life Magazine – 2020 Hospitality Awards
Best Hawai’i Adventure Tour Operator Award to Temptation Tours
In recent years LUXlife has seen the hospitality industry grow significantly, with many new challenges for firms within the industry. LUXlife’s aim is to support and reward key individuals who go above and beyond for their customers and clients.
The Hospitality Awards recognize everyone across the hospitality space, without considering the company’s geography or size.
The awards range from hospitality management to public relations, tour operators, restaurants, nightclubs, bars, marketing services, events, and recruitment. Every facet of this industry will be recognized this year.
This allows hospitality business and customers alike to have a deeper understanding of all the Very Best in this industry. This is crucial for the well-being of clients and management around the world.
We are proud of our team for achieving this high level of recognition from such a well regarded source as Lux Life Magazine!
Viator – Badge of Excellence Award to Temptation Tours
The Badge of Excellence is an award created initially for Travel Agents. So they could easily know which travel companies and experiences were top-notch and which could be recommended to their travel clients with full confidence. Basically, Viator does all the travel research for you!
These are Viator’s 3 main areas they research to make their recommendations and awards:
First, travelers must love the actual trip and experience: this part of the award is customer based. This information is based upon the number and level of reviews and ratings from real people’s travel experience, people like you.
Second, Top-notch flexibility. The company must offer instant confirmation, mobile tickets, and Viator’s trusted cancellation policy – giving you all the flexibility you need when plans change.
Third, all the info you need to plan your trip: the company must give you access to great photos and comprehensive descriptions to help give you a real sense of what you’re booking.
Basically, when you see the badge, you know you’re in good hands from booking your trip to the very end and follow-up!
And Finally, Temptation Tours’ 2020 BBB Torch Awards for Ethics Finalist!
Our hard work at Temptation Tours has not gone un-noticed by the Better Business Bureau! Our designation as a Torch Awards Finalist for 2020 demonstrates our commitment to integrity and honest and reliable business practices. Things like this are what puts us among the top 5 businesses in Hawai’i.
Thank you for joining us in our online Awards Ceremony!
We hope you had fun hearing about your favorite Tour Company on Maui!! Striving for the Highest and being our own personal best is quite literally its own reward!
Mahalo Nui Loa* for helping make this unusual last year, 2020, yet another year filled with great travel experiences and lots of awards!
Aloha and Hau’oli Makahiki Hou*
Writing and Graphic Design by Sugandha Ferro Black
GLOSSARY* of Hawaiian Words
Hau’oli Makahiki Hou – Happy New Year
King Kalākaua – Called the Merry Monarch. He was King of Hawai’i from 1874 -1891
Kūlia i ka nu‘u – Strive to reach the summit
Mahalo Nui Loa – Loads of thanks
‘Ohana – Family
‘Olelo No’eau – Hawaiian Proverb
Ono grindz – good food
Queen Kapi’olani – Queen and consort of King Kalākaua
*Please keep in mind that all Hawaiian Words have many meanings. The meanings we share here are the specific translations for the words as they pertain to this particular blog’s subject matter.
Photos courtesy of Wiki and other free sources or purchases unless otherwise noted.