Thursday, August 24, 2023

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

Taking Home The Trifecta!

BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort brought home its third gold award at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards over the weekend, and they are celebrating being crowned our nation’s best in the Caravan and Holiday Parks Category once again.

The popular Whitsunday Resort has been owned and operated by the McKinnon family for the past 29 years and has seen a phenomenal transformation during that time to become the 4.5-star, multi-award-winning property that it is today.

Owner Greg McKinnon, who attended the awards ceremony on Friday night with both family and staff, was both ecstatic and emotional upon being announced as the national winner.

“As both a family and a team, we are all so very proud to win this award,” he said.

“The Australian Tourism Awards are the pinnacle of awards in our industry and we are so proud to not only have won gold but to have shared a part in celebrating the very best that Australia has to offer.”

BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort have a team of 74 warm, friendly and passionate staff who Greg credits with playing a big part in the success of his business.

“They can say that they work for the best park in Australia!” he said.

“That’s a wonderful reward for all their hard work.”

Over the past year, BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort has focused on its offerings for guests with accessible needs, including a new vision-impaired cabin, resort Braille signage, and of course, the resort’s Sensory Room, the Reilly Room, which caters for children on the autism spectrum and their families by offering a special holiday retreat.

With more exciting plans ahead, including Bunk House dormitory-style accommodation for groups and the budget FIT market, the Resort will soon be adding more new cabins and further developments to their resort pool area and Kid’s Club.

BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort has become synonymous with offering the very best Australian holiday experience. Loved by return guests for their consistently friendly service, concerted customer focus and commitment to continual improvement and innovation, the resort is the first choice for a Queensland holiday.

Set amongst 10 hectares of beautifully landscaped tropical gardens, it caters for a variety of budgets with a wide range of accommodation options from camping and caravanning sites to luxury, three-bedroom condos.

What does it take to top Australian tourism?

I think it comes down to always being at the top of your game – we’ve been operating for almost 30 years and entering awards for 27 – you can’t just keep putting in the same product, you’ve got to be innovative, and constantly developing the park so that we’re a leader within the industry – we always aim to exceed expectations.

What features make you the best?

We always aim to be the ‘first-of or the best-ofs’ – we weren’t the first waterpark but we put in 13 waterslides which was pretty amazing! But of course, it is also our fantastic staff - our staff are an integral part in making people’s holidays, and their overall experience, the best it can possibly be!

Family and staff representing BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards over the weekend

Happy faces on the awards night

BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort boasts 13 waterslides

In other news