More than 50 prizes up for grabs including airline tickets to Europe, Asia and Africa!

SYDNEY, Australia – There will be more winners than ever before at this year's AFTA National Travel Industry Awards after Star Alliance unveiled plans for a novel 'Scratch & Win' promotion that will shower guests with more than 50 prizes.

Everyone attending the Australian travel industry's night of nights - held this year on Saturday 16 July at the Dockside Pavilion in Sydney's Darling Harbour - will be in the running to win.

After taking their seats, guests attending the gala dinner will simply need to peel open their Star Alliance-branded napkin holder to reveal a small silver square beside a list of the Alliance's 28 member carriers. For more than 50 lucky people, scratching the square will result in some fabulous prizes.

Among the rewards on offer will be 13 international airline tickets, courtesy of six Star Alliance member carriers, including:

• Air Canada (two Economy Class tickets)
• EVA Airways (two Economy Class tickets)
• Lufthansa (two Premium Economy tickets)
• South African Airways (four economy Class tickets)
• Thai Airways (two Economy Class tickets)
• Turkish Airlines (one Business Class ticket)

Star Alliance Country Steering Committee Chair Tim Clyde-Smith says the 'Scratch and Win' promotion will ensure this year's National Travel Industry Awards will be one of the most memorable ever.

“Star Alliance is always looking for fresh and inventive ways to reward our customers, from unique frequent flyers benefits to time-saving airport experiences,” says Clyde-Smith. “This year we thought we'd bring the same creativity and innovation, as well as some fun, to the National Travel Industry Awards.”

As well as giving away an unprecedented array of prizes, Star Alliance will once again sponsor the Best Non-Branded Travel Agency Group category at this year's NTIA.

Introduced for the first time last year, the judged category recognises those groups that offer independent travel agents the chance to be part of a strong and supportive network while still operating under their own individual business name.

About AFTA:

The Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) is the peak body in Australia representing the retail travel industry. Founded in 1957, AFTA represents the majority of travel agents in Australia and includes all of the major travel agency groups.

AFTA's role is to uphold the interests of members in matters relating to the operation of all travel agencies in Australia. In broad terms these issues are ones that are not addressed by agent chain or corporate entities on behalf of their members, and are ones that involve the industry as a whole.

ATAS -TRAVEL ACCREDITED: The AFTA Travel Accreditation Scheme (ATAS) is an industry accreditation scheme that sets the benchmark of quality for the travel industry.

AFTA is committed, through ATAS, to elevating travel industry standards in Australia by driving increased and continued participation by travel intermediaries in ATAS and raising consumer awareness of the benefits of booking travel through an ATAS accredited agent.

The accreditation scheme is open to all travel intermediaries (those that buy and sell travel).

The AFTA National Travel Industry Awards (AFTA NTIA) acknowledge the best of the best in the Australian travel industry – with categories covering travel agencies and individual consultants, as well as the various suppliers which support them and their businesses.

These awards are essential in providing encouragement and recognition to the businesses and personnel who demonstrate outstanding service, marketing excellence and business acumen to the travel industry.

The 2016 AFTA NTIA Gala Dinner will be held on Saturday 16 July at the Dockside Pavilion Darling Harbour.

About Star Alliance:

The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Avianca Brazil, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI and United. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 18,500 daily flights to 1,330 airports in 192 countries. For additional information visit www.staralliance.com and/or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube or LinkedIn.