The Sunshine Coast is proudly celebrating its standout tourism operators, with more than 200 members of Visit Sunshine Coast being recognised as 2025 Best of Queensland Experiences – Tourism and Events Queensland’s (TEQ) official stamp of excellence.
The prestigious Best of Queensland Experience Program recognises tourism operators that consistently deliver exceptional visitor experiences, measured through independent criteria such as glowing online reviews, professional digital presence, secure online booking capabilities, social media engagement, RTO membership and formal accreditation.
In 2025, a record 310 Sunshine Coast operators were accredited Best of Queensland experiences, up from 284 in 2024. In the auditing process, 59 Sunshine Coast tourism businesses scored a perfect 100 per cent, up from 42 in 2024.
“Meeting all the criteria for this recognition program is not easy, and this is done deliberately to show travellers from all over the world that Queensland really does offer a world-class holiday,” Craig Davidson said, CEO of Tourism and Events Queensland.
“Carrying the industry’s Best of Queensland Experience stamp is a significant achievement; operators who have secured this have gone above and beyond to offer an all-round outstanding experience for visitors to our great state,” he said.
Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Matt Stoeckel that the program not only benefitted individual businesses but enhanced the entire Sunshine Coast brand.
“We are incredibly proud of the 310 operators who have earned this prestigious accolade,” he said.
“VSC has worked closely with operators to enhance standards and capabilities through our range of industry development programs, and it is very pleasing to see performance improvements across the sector. For instance, 95 per cent of our industry now pass the accredited Social Media benchmarks.
“This accreditation reflects our industry’s unwavering commitment to high standards, innovation, and authentic Sunshine Coast hospitality.
“Our operators’ success reinforces the Sunshine Coast’s position as one of Queensland’s premier regions for unforgettable, quality travel experiences.”
Mr Stoeckel said the operators which had scored a perfect 100 per cent deserved special congratulations, and the fact that the number had increased from 43 to 59 in just one year was reflective of the passionate operators who strived to be the best of the best.
The 100 per cent operators included Sunreef, Oceanview Helicopters, The Ginger Factory, Maleny Botanic Gardens & Bird World, Joel’s Journeys, Amaze World, Australia Zoo, Creative Tours, Epic Ocean Adventures, Con-X-ion Transfers and many other tour, attraction and accommodation providers.
“Congratulations to all these operators for leading the way and ensuring the Sunshine Coast has the best of Queensland experiences on show,” Mr Stoeckel said.
