More than a thousand tour operators, both big and small, gathered at the Queensland Tourism Awards last Friday to celebrate a bounce-back year which saw intra-state tourism numbers rise by 21.5 per cent, totalling $12.4 billion.
Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) CEO Brett Fraser said this was the year that the 37th annual Queensland Tourism Awards celebrated Queenslanders supporting Queenslanders.
“In true Queenslander spirit, we are embracing the difficulties we face together by re-connecting and discovering places in our own backyard, as together we are drawn to holidays within our home state,” he said.
“Collectively, this year’s recipients are a testament to the strength and calibre of the state’s tourism operators, and I applaud this great industry and its people for the innovation and resilience they have displayed.”
A total of 78 awards, including 31 Gold, 26 Silver and 20 Bronze Awards were presented across 30 categories and the Whitsunday region walked away with nine of these prestigious accolades.
This years’ awards represented a poignant moment for the tourism industry, celebrating the resilience and tenacity of operators who had all beat the odds to not only survive but also thrive in the new post-pandemic world.
“The past two years have re-defined how people live, work and travel, and the intrastate tourism we are experiencing is directly correlated to this,” said Mr Fraser.
Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the Queensland Tourism Awards celebrated a remarkable year.
“It has been terrific to see Queensland domestic tourism bounce back so strongly with a nation leading $19.6 billion in overnight visitor spending,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
“We owe much of Queensland’s achievements to the hard work, resilience and innovation of the State’s tourism operators, some of whom are recognised by the 2022 Awards.
“Congratulations to this year’s award winners and finalists for delivering world-class visitor experiences and making Queensland a destination of choice.”
Queensland Tourism Award Winners:
Tourism Retail & Hire Services
Silver: Whitsunday Coast Airport
Bronze: Shute Harbour Marine Terminal
Major Tour and Transport Operators
Silver: Ocean Rafting
Adventure Tourism
Gold: Ocean Rafting
Caravan and Holiday Parks
Gold: Big4 Adventure Whitsundays Resort
Unique Accommodation
Bronze: Cruise Whitsundays – Reefstays
Self-Contained Accommodation
Silver: Pinnacles Resort
Bronze: Mirage Whitsundays
3-3.5 Star Accommodation
Gold: Magnums Accommodation Airlie Beach
Chief Executive Officer of Tourism Whitsundays, Rick Hamilton and Elizabeth Hackett from Magnums Accommodation
Peter and Jan Claxton from Ocean Rafting
Greg McKinnon and Tanya Cran from BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort
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