After a bounce-back year, more than 1,000 tourism operators and individuals have come together for the 2022 Queensland Tourism Awards.
The spotlight was on outback Queensland this year with eight rural operators taking out awards, as well as the Southern Great Barrier Reef region receiving an impressive 12 awards.
Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort received The Steve Irwin Award for Ecotourism, placing it in the Queensland Tourism Awards Hall of Fame – a prestigious accolade presented to entrants that have won in their selected Queensland Tourism Awards category for three consecutive years.
The Island’s Amy Gash also took home the young achiever award, while Bundaberg Rum Distillery Visitor Experience has been named the top tourist attraction.
Lady Musgrave Experience secured a silver and a bronze while Macadamias Australia came third in the new tourism business category.
Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) CEO Brett Fraser says the 37th annual Queensland Tourism Awards brought together an outstanding selection of operators that truly reflect the diverse range of the state’s quality tourism offerings.
“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,” Mr Fraser says.
Leading the charge nationally, Queensland recorded its highest ever intrastate visitor rate, noting a 21.5 per cent increase totalling $12.4 billion.
Each year, the Queensland Tourism Awards are judged by a panel of industry experts who volunteer their services to assess submission and travel across Queensland to experience firsthand the amenities and services of the nominated operators.
Select category winners will gain automatic entry into the Australian Tourism Awards, which will be held at Doltone House in Sydney on Friday 17 March 2023.
