THE finalists of the 2015 Sunshine Coast Business Awards have been announced – with a number of Noosa businesses making the grade.
Supported by Noosa Council, the awards are designed to recognise and celebrate the efforts and achievements of the diverse and dedicated Sunshine Coast business community throughout a number of categories.
As to be expected, Noosa businesses were most prominent in the tourism category with the home-grown Noosa Festival of Surfing listed as a finalist, as well as Noosa River and Canal Cruises and the Villa Noosa Hotel, while Venture Cycles has earned a place in the finals under the custom service category.
Awards sponsor Sunshine Coast Destination CEO Simon Ambrose said today’s tourism industry was working harder than ever to secure each booking.
“Our visitors want peace of mind that their holiday experience will meet expectations,” he said. “In a world pre-occupied with the biggest, the latest and the greatest, an industry award can provide a significant point of difference for a tourism business. Awards often act as a stamp of credibility in a crowded market-place, bridging the gap between an ‘unknown’ and the ‘must-do’.”
Mr Ambrose said Sunshine Coast Destination was proud to support the awards as a gold sponsor.
“We have worked with our tourism industry to encourage and support entries in the tourism categories,” he said.
“We wish finalists such as Noosa Festival of Surfing and Villa Noosa Hotel all the very best with their submissions.”
“For each and every business and most importantly their staff, it is a huge recognition to be successful in winning a tourism award and a big thank you from the whole community for the service and hard work they provide to our visitors every day of the year,” he said.
Travel and tourism plays a critical role in the Sunshine Coast’s economic development and contributes $1.9 billion in expenditure to the economy and employs 26,500 people in the region.
Many of the finalists and winners will also go on to vie for the Queensland Tourism Awards – the pinnacle of achievement in the Queensland tourism industry.
The Sunshine Coast Business Awards will be held on 7 November. For more information visit www.sunshinecoastbusinessawards.com.au