Noosa can proudly boast a bronze winner at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards with Pelican Boat Hire taking out the Tourism Retail and Hire Services award.
More than 700 tourism operators and guests gathered at the Sunshine Coast Convention Centre on Friday 18 March to recognise the achievements and resilience of Australia’s finest visitor experiences.
Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive and chair of the Australian Tourism Awards Daniel Gschwind said the Awards offered a platform to showcase the world-class experiences and destinations that Australia has to offer.
“The awards are testament to the commitment and determination of our nation’s top tourism businesses, who, despite the difficulties of the past two years, consistently provide visitors with exceptional experiences,” Mr Gschwind said.
“While all the winners and finalists should be congratulated for their achievements through these challenging times, we’re particularly proud of Queensland’s success at this year’s awards.
Competing with the nation’s best tourism products, Bundaberg Rum Distillery Visitor Experience were the big winners at the Awards night, walking away with top honours for a third time in Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries.
Having achieved a golden hat trick, the Distillery Experience was inducted into the Australian Tourism Awards Hall of Fame.
Overall, Queensland tourism celebrated a remarkable night by accepting 15 accolades at this year’s national Awards with six gold, five silver, and four bronze being awarded to exceptional Sunshine State operators.
A total of 75 awards were presented across 25 categories, including Red Cat Adventures who took home gold for Adventure Tourism, as did Narrows Escape Rainforest Retreat in the Hosted Accommodation category, and Empire Apartment Hotel for 4-4.5 Star Accommodation.
Other Queensland winners include Beef Australia Limited for Major Festivals and Events, and Spirits of the Red Sand, who took out the prestigious Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism Award.
Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the awards’ strong Queensland representation demonstrated commitment to recovery.
“In the last two years, resilient Queensland tourism operators have found opportunities to build back better,“ Mr Hinchliffe said.
“They’ve strived for excellence in delivering outstanding, visitor-focused experiences and new, world-class tourism infrastructure.
“The tremendous determination of tourism operators is reflected in the awards’ 21 Queensland finalists.“
