NT enters the Hall of Fame in the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards

VOYAGERS Ayers Rock Resort has been inducted into the Tourism Australia Hall of Fame after taking out a gold win at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards for the third year in a row on Friday night

Voyages Ayers Rock Resort wins gold for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards at the Darwin Convention Centre. PICTURE: Elise Derwin

VOYAGERS Ayers Rock Resort has been inducted into the Tourism Australia Hall of Fame after taking out a gold win at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards for the third year in a row last night.

The resort won the Qantas Award for Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism at the awards held at the Darwin Convention Centre last night.

The Alice Springs Visitor Centre also took out a gold award for its work in the Visitor Information Services category, while Kakadu National Park and the Darwin Convention Centre won silver awards in the Major Tourist Attractions and Business Events Venue categories respectively.

Venture North Australia won a bronze award for Cultural Tourism, and Uluru Camel Tours won bronze in two categories; Tourism and Transport Operators and Adventure Tourism.

The NT had award winners in seven of the 25 categories.

“It is fantastic achievement for all businesses to reach finalist level at the Australian Tourism Awards, and so for those taking home gold, it is a true mark of their professionalism and commitment to quality visitor experiences,” Australian Tourism Awards chairman Daniel Gschwind said.

“It is due to businesses such as these and their staff that our industry continues to prosper and rise as an important contributor to jobs and economic growth across Australia.”

The tourism awards recognise and celebrate businesses that have demonstrated a commitment to quality tourism products and experiences and are the pinnacle event for the industry. It was the first time the awards had been held in Darwin.

More than 700 tourism industry representatives from around the country visited Darwin for the awards, and many attended a briefing by Tourism Australia earlier yesterday.

Local and interstate operators were talked through Tourism Australia’s marketing campaigns, shown data and taught how to use the data to advantage their businesses.

Tourism Australia managing director John O’Sullivan said international tourists were looking for experiences.

“Experiences like Crocosaurus Cove are the ones visitors are seeking out,” he said.

He said the local operators were the ones keeping the tourism industry — which he said employs almost five per cent of Australia’s workforce and was growing at 4.5 times the rate of the national economy — alive.

“We can’t sell Australia without our partnerships with each and every one of you,” he told the group.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS:

Sovereign Hill (VIC) won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards

MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS:

Gold: Sovereign Hill (VIC)

Silver: Kakadu National Park (NT)

Bronze: Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service — Freycinet National Park (TAS)

Questacon won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Matt Loxton

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS:

Gold: Questacon — The National Science and Technology Centre (ACT)

Silver: Bruney Island Cruises (TAS)

Bronze: Calypso Star Charters (SA)

Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Tim Marsden

MAJOR FESTIVALS AND EVENTS:

Gold: Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers (QLD)

Silver: Australian Grand Prix Corporation (VIC)

Bronze: Mandurah Crab Fest (WA)

Mt Isa Mines Rotary Rodeo won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Patrina Malone

FESTIVALS AND EVENTS:

Gold: Mount Isa Mines Rotary Rodeo (QLD)

Silver: 2016 National Folk Festival (ACT)

Bronze: Parkes Elvis Festival (NSW)

The Tasmanian Walking Company won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Supplied

ECOTOURISM:

Gold: Tasmanian Walking Company (TAS)

Silver: Sail Nigaloo — Overnight Sailing Tours (WA)

Bronze: Fun Over Fifty (QLD)

Bendigo Tramways won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Chloe Smith

CULTURAL TOURISM:

Gold: Bendigo Tramways (VIC)

Silver: Nundle Woollen Mill (NSW)

Bronze: Venture North Australia (NT)

Voyages Ayers Rock Resort won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Supplied

QANTAS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER TOURISM:

Gold: Voyages Ayers Rock Resort (NT) — Also entered the Hall of Fame

Silver: Sand Dune Adventures (NSW)

Bronze: Mossman Gorge Centre (QLD)

SPECIALISED TOURISM SERVICES:

Gold: RiverFly 1964 (TAS)

Silver: Canberra Airport (ACT)

Bronze: SkyBus (VIC)

Alice Springs Visitor Information Centre won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Barry Skipsey

VISITOR INFORMATION SERVICES:

Gold: Alice Springs Visitor Information Centre (NT)

Silver: Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association (WA)

Bronze: Hervey Bay Visitor Information Centre (QLD)

The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Supplied

BUSINESS EVENT VENUES:

Gold: The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel (TAS) — Also inducted into the Hall of Fame

Silver: Darwin Convention Centre (NT)

Bronze: Chateau Elan at The Vintage (NSW)

Ocean Rafting won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Supplied

MAJOR TOUR AND TRANSPORT OPERATORS:

Gold: Ocean Rafting (QLD)

Silver: Par Avion Wilderness Tours (TAS)

Bronze: ADAMS (WA)

Fun Over Fifty won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Supplied

TOUR AND TRANSPORT OPERATORS:

Gold: Fun Over Fifty (QLD)

Silver: Top Drop Tours (WA)

Bronze: Uluru Camel Tours (NT)

Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Supplied

ADVENTURE TOURISM:

Gold: Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures (WA)

Silver: Tangatours (QLD)

Bronze: Uluru Camel Tours (NT)

DESTINATION MARKETING:

Gold: Reset your senses in Mudgee Region (NSW)

Silver: Great Eastern Drive (TAS)

Bronze: Bendigo Art Gallery and Twentieth Century Fox present Marilyn Monroe (VIC)

Masons of Bendigo won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Robert Leeson

TOURISM RESTAURANTS AND CATERING SERVICES:

Gold: Masons of Bendigo (VIC)

Silver: Josef Chromy Wines (TAS)

Bronze: Sandalford Wines (WA)

Seppeltsfield Estate Winery won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Bo Le

TOURISM WINERIES DISTILLERIES AND BREWERIES:

Gold: Seppeltsfield Estate Winery (SA)

Silver: Sarina Sugar Shed (QLD)

Bronze: Pizzini Wines (VIC)

BIG4 Deniliquin Holiday Park won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Simon Dallinger

CARAVAN AND HOLIDAY PARKS:

Gold: BIG4 Deniliquin Holiday Park (NSW)

Silver: BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort (QLD)

Bronze: BIG4 Beacon Resort (VIC)

The Beach House at Bayside won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Supplied

HOSTED ACCOMMODATION:

Gold: The Beach House at Bayside (WA)

Silver: Cobbold Village (QLD)

Bronze: Curringa Farm Accommodation (TAS)

Taronga Western Plains Zoo won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Supplied

UNIQUE ACCOMMODATION:

Gold: Taronga Western Plains Zoo (NSW)

Silver: Pumphouse Point (TAS)

Bronze: Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures — The Horizontal Hotel (WA)

The Frames won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Tait Schmaal

SELF CONTAINED ACCOMMODATION:

Gold: The Frames (SA)

Silver: Avalon Coastal Retreat (TAS)

Bronze: Lakeside Villas at Crittenden Estate (VIC)

Moama on Murray Resort won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Supplied

STANDARD ACCOMMODATION:

Gold: Moama on Murray Resort (NSW)

Silver: ibis Mackay (QLD)

Bronze: ibis Adelaide (SA)

Yondah Beach House won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Supplied

DELUXE ACCOMMODATION:

Gold: Yondah Beach House (SA)

Silver: The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel (TAS)

Bronze: The Observatory, Port Macquarie (NSW)

Saffire Freycinet won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Supplied

LUXURY ACCOMMODATION:

Gold: Saffire Freycinet (TAS)

Silver: The Playford (SA)

Bronze: Drift House (VIC)

Three Capes Track won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service

NEW TOURISM DEVELOPMENT:

Gold: Three Capes Track (TAS)

Silver: COMO The Treasury (WA)

Bronze: The Wellness Manor (VIC)

Margan Wines and Restaurant won a Gold Award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Supplied

EXCELLENCE IN FOOD TOURISM:

Gold: Margan Wines and Restaurant (NSW)

Silver: Green Olive at Red Hill (VIC)

Bronze: Barossa Valley Cheese Company (SA)

AEG Ogden chairman and chief executive Harvey Lister won the Australian Tourism Legend award at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. PICTURE: Mark Cranitch.

AUSTRALIAN TOURISM LEGEND:

Gold: Harvey Lister (QLD)