Hi Everyone,
Tonight, our fantastic tourism industry will be celebrated at the annual Whitsunday Tourism Awards – good luck to all the local operators!
There are nine of us from Core Publishing attending the awards, with some colleagues making the trip from both Mackay and the Burdekin to attend the event.
We look forward to seeing many familiar faces there!
I caught up with Tourism Whitsunday CEO, Rick Hamilton, for a coffee last week and he was telling me that tonight is “the crowning moment of the year” for many local operators.
He explained that most entrants are ‘mom and pop’ organisations where the owners work directly in the business, and they can be so busy that they have little time to celebrate their achievements.
As a result, tonight is a night where all these dedicated people and their valued staff get the opportunity to come together, celebrate all their hard work and get rewarded for their excellence.
One in three people living in our region work in the tourism and hospitality sector, which illustrates how important this industry is to our economy.
The businesses that win an award this evening will automatically enter the Queensland Tourism Awards and, if they are successful there, they will represent our region at the Australian Tourism Awards.
Over the years several local businesses have reached this level and each time they receive such accolades it raises the profile of our entire region, both on a national and international stage.
I think it’s fair to say that the reputation of the Whitsundays as a holiday destination has been carried on the backs of all these businesses, from those nominated, right through to those that have carried the mantle all the way to the nationals.
Congratulations to everyone who is taking part in the awards tonight, both for the tourism awards and the business award – we wish you the best of luck!
Rach
Quote of the Week: “No such thing, the queen said, as too many sequins” (Monk Doty)
