AusLeisure

The winners of the 31st Annual Qantas Australian Tourism Awards of 2015 were announced last night (5th February) at a gala ceremony in the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Over 850 industry leaders and operators joined special guests to celebrate, including the Federal Minister for Tourism & International Education, Senator Richard Colbeck; Shadow Minister for Tourism Anthony Albanese; Victorian Minister for Tourism John Eren; Premier of Tasmania Will Hodgman; South Australian Tourism Minister Leon Bignell and Chief Minister for the Northern Territory Adam Giles.

Commenting on the awards, Daniel Gschwind, Chair of the Australian Tourism Awards stated “external conditions have improved markedly for the tourism industry over the last couple of years and thanks to the hard work and commitment of thousands of tourism operators and their staff, our industry is now driving economic growth and employment in cities and regions right across Australia.”

Victoria dominated the honour roll this year with 10 gold awards; Geoff McGeary OAM, founder of APT, was named Australian Tourism Legend for outstanding services to tourism and Sovereign Hill in Victoria won the Major Tourist Attractions.

Gschwind added "we congratulate the outstanding tourism operators from around Australia who have won tonight. We honour their achievement as the finest of Australia’s tourism industry."

Australian Tourism Awards 
2015 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards Australian Tourism Legend: Geoff McGeary OAM 

Major Tourist Attractions 
Gold: Sovereign Hill, Victoria 
Silver: Port Arthur Historic Site, Tasmania 
Bronze: Taronga Zoo, NSW 

Tourist Attractions 
Gold: Bruny Island Cruises, Tasmania 
Silver: Questacon, ACT 
Bronze: Daintree Discovery Centre, Queensland 

Major Festivals and Events 
Gold: 2014 Melbourne Cup Carnival, Victoria 
Silver: Floriade 2014, ACT 
Bronze: MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2015, Tasmania 

Festivals and Events 
Gold: Fun4Kids Festival, Victoria 
Silver: Boggabri Drovers Campfire, NSW 
Bronze: 2015 National Folk Festival ACT 

Ecotourism 
Gold: The Tasmanian, Western Australialking Company, Tasmania 
Silver: Sail Ningaloo – Overnight Sailing Tours, Western Australia 
Bronze: Sea Darwin Eco Cruises, Northern Territory 

Cultural Tourism 
Gold: Venture North Australia, Northern Territory 
Silver: Port Arthur Historic Site, Tasmania 
Bronze: Bendigo Tramways, Victoria 
 
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism 
Gold: Voyages Ayers Rock Resort, Northern Territory 
Silver: Arakwal Dolphin Dreaming Cape Byron State Conservation Area, NSW 
Bronze: Koomal Dreaming, Western Australia 

Specialised Tourism Services 
Gold: Canberra Airport, ACT 
Silver: Cruisin' Motorhomes, Tasmania 
Bronze: Leisure Options, Victoria 

Visitor Information Services 
Gold: Alice Springs Visitor Information Centre, Northern Territory 
Silver:, Tasmanian Travel & Information Centre, Tasmania 
Bronze: Barossa Visitor Centre, South Australia 

Business Event Venue 
Gold: The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel, Tasmania 
Silver: Alice Springs Convention Centre, Northern Territory 
Bronze: Chateau Elan at The Vintage, NSW 

Major Tour and Transport Operators 
Gold: Searoad Ferries, Victoria 
Silver: Reef Magic Cruises, Queensland 
Bronze: ADAMS Pinnacle Tours, Western Australia 

Tour and Transport Operators 
Gold: Top Drop Tours, Western Australia 
Silver: Ocean Safari, Queensland 
Bronze: Uluru Camel Tours, Northern Territory 
 
Adventure Tourism 
Gold: Enchanted Adventure Garden and Tree Surfing, Victoria 
Silver: Uluru Camel Tours, Northern Territory 
Bronze: Calypso Star Charters, South Australia 

Destination Marketing 
Gold: Wine Food Farmgate, Victoria 
Silver: Australia's Nature Coast, Queensland 
Bronze: #RideNorthTas, Tasmania 

Tourism Restaurants and Catering Services 
Gold: Stillwater at Crittenden, Victoria 
Silver: AAT Kings Uluru BBQ Dinner, Northern Territory 
Bronze: Josef Chromy Wines, Tasmania 

Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries 
Gold: Pizzini Wines Cellar Door, Victoria 
Silver:, South Australiandalford Wines, Western Australia 
Bronze: Margan Wines, NSW 

Caravan and Holiday Parks 
Gold: BIG4 Deniliquin Holiday Park, NSW 
Silver: BIG4 Beacon Resort, Victoria 
Bronze: BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort, Queensland 

Hosted Accommodation 
Gold: Curringa Farm Tours and Accommodation, Tasmania 
Silver: HideAway Haven, Western Australia 
Bronze: Eldee Station, NSW 

Unique Accommodation 
Gold: Taronga Western Plains Zoo, NSW 
Silver: Avalon City Retreat, Tasmania 
Bronze: Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures - The Horizontal Hotel, Western Australia 
 
Self Contained Accommodation 
Gold: Avalon Coastal Retreat, Tasmania 
Silver: The Frames, South Australia 
Bronze: Aquabelle Apartments, Victoria 

Standard Accommodation 
Gold: Moama on Murray Resort, NSW 
Silver: Sandpiper Ocean Cottages, Tasmania 
Bronze: Cottesloe Beach Hotel, Western Australia 

Deluxe Accommodation 
Gold: The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel, Tasmania 
Silver: The Observatory Port Macquarie, NSW 
Bronze: Yondah Beach House, South Australia 

Luxury Accommodation 
Gold: Drift House, Victoria 
Silver: Saffire Freycinet, Tasmania 
Bronze: The Playford, South Australia 

New Tourism Business 
Gold: Pumphouse Point, Tasmania 
Silver: National Anzac Centre, Western Australia 
Bronze: Halcyon House, NSW 

Excellence in Food Tourism 
Gold: Green Olive at Red Hill, Victoria 
Silver: Farm Gate Market, Tasmania 
Bronze: The Lake House Denmark - Vinofoods, Western Australia 

Qantas Award for Excellence in Sustainable Tourism 
Gold: The Observatory Port Macquarie, NSW 
Silver: The Tasmanian Walking Company, Tasmania 
Bronze: Fun Over 50, Queensland

For more information go to www.australiantourismawards.com.au

6th February 2016 - SOVEREIGN HILL BALLARAT NAMED AUSTRALIA’S TOP TOURIST ATTRACTION

11th April 2015 - TASMANIA DOMINATES QANTAS AUSTRALIAN TOURISM AWARDS

Asking a small favour
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

The news we publish at www.ausleisure.com.au is independent, credible (we hope) and free for you to access, with no pay walls and no annoying pop-up ads.

However, as an independent publisher, can we ask for you to support us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine - if you don't already do so.

Published bi-monthly since 1997, the printed Australasian Leisure Management differs from this website in that it publishes longer, in-depth and analytical features covering aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues management.

Subscriptions cost just $90 a year.

Click here to subscribe.