If you’re looking for something else to clean today, how about your toilets? November 19 is the United Nations World Toilet Day and travel consulting company MyTravelResearch.com (MTR) is launching the Toilet Tourism Awards today.
One of the categories in the awards will honour the quirkiest toilet experience. Think this urinal at an aiport in Thailand stands a chance? Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Before you soil your mind with funny thoughts, the awards aim to highlight the link between adequate provision of good toilets and success in a visitor economy reliant on tourists. It also hopes to raise awareness of sanitation and toilet provision, especially in developing economies.
According to the UN, inadequate toilet facilities cause disease, environmental health challenges, increased mortality, lack of productivity at work and security compromises for women.
One in 10 people still resort to open defecation daily. The UN is seeking to create adequate toilet provision for everyone by 2030.
There are a total of six categories in the awards: 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).
Toilet owners in tourism destinations around the world can get more details and express their interest in the awards at www.mytravelresearch.com. Submissions close April 1 next year.
The winners will receive a copy of every MTR research publication in 2017 (worth A$8,000 (RM26,130) and access to tourism research events.
Meanwhile, the Overall Winner will also receive a A$2,000 (RM6,532) donation contributed to World Toilet Day in their name.
Of course, you could also win bragging rights for your toilets. Or in the words of MTR co-founder Bronwyn White: “This is the chance for toilet owners in tourism to wipe the floor with the competition.”
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