Queensland Tourism Awards 2022 recognise our state's best

News

By Morgan Reardon

Some of Queensland tourism's best experiences, attractions, operators and events and have been recognised at the 2022 Queensland Tourism Awards.

Hosted by the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, more than 1,000 tourism operators gathered at the Gold Coast Exhibition Centre on Friday 4 November, to celebrate Queensland's tourism operator excellence and recognise the strength, resilience and achievements of the state's tourism industry.

The awards, which are judged by a panel of industry experts, cover 30 categories, ranging from attractions, events, tour and transport, accommodation, restaurants, culture, marketing and more.

A full list of winners can be found below, but highlights included Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary winning Best Major Tourist Attraction for the second year in a row; as did Bundaberg Rum Distillery Visitor Experience, getting the gold once again in the Best Tourist Attractions category. Wildcat Mackay scored Best New Tourism Business, while Spirits of Red Sand grabbed the gong for Best Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism.

And we must give a shout out to Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort, who 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. Custodian of Lady Elliot Island, Amy Gash, was also honoured on the night, bagging the Young Achiever Award for outstanding contribution to the tourism industry.

Following the awards, select category winners will now progress to the Australian Tourism Awards to be judged against finalists from each state and territory in March 2023.

Family feeding a kangaroo with a ranger — Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

Major Tourist Attractions

Gold: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
Silver: Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History
Bronze: Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame

Tourist Attractions

Gold: Bundaberg Rum Distillery Visitor Experience
Silver: Wildlife Habitat
Bronze: Amaze World

Major Festivals and Events

Gold: Cooly Rocks On Festival
Silver: Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers

Festivals and Events

Gold: Outback Queensland Masters
Silver: RockyNats 02
Bronze: St Lawrence Wetlands Weekend Event

Lady snorkelling beneath a turtle, off Lady Elliot Island — Lady Elliot Island

The Steve Irwin Award for Ecotourism

Gold: Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort
Silver: Fun Over 50 Holidays – Immersive Tours and Adventures
Bronze: Lady Musgrave Experience

Cultural Tourism

Gold: Fun Over Fifty Holidays – Immersive Tours and Adventures
Silver: Paronella Park
Bronze: Eromanga NaturalHistory Museum

Qantas Award for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism

Gold: Spirits of the Red Sand
Silver: Cape York Peninsula Lodge
Bronze: Yura Tours

Scenes of 'The Evening Experience' — Spirits of the Red Sand

Tourism Retail & Hire Services

Gold: Pelican Boat Hire
Silver: Whitsunday Coast Airport
Bronze: Shute Harbour Marine Terminal

Visitor Information Services

Gold: Quilpie Visitor Information Centre, Museum and Gallery
Silver: Noosa Visitor Information Centre
Bronze: Agnes Water/1770 Visitor Information Centre

Business Event Venues

Gold: Empire Apartment Hotel Conference Centre
Silver: Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre

Major Tour and/or Transport Operators

Gold: Sea World Cruises
Silver: Ocean Rafting
Bronze: Exemplar Coaches and Limousines

Tour and/or Transport Operators

Gold: Fun Over Fifty Holidays – Immersive Tours and Adventures
Silver: Aquascene Charters
Bronze: 1770 LARC! Tours

Snorkelling on the reef with Ocean Safari — Cape Tribulation

Adventure Tourism

Gold: Ocean Rafting
Silver: Ocean Safari
Bronze: Aquascene Charters

The Richard Power Award for Tourism Marketing and Campaigns

Gold: Tourism Tropical North Queensland ‘Autumn Looks Great in Green’ Campaign
Silver: Rockhampton Regional Council ‘Explore Rockhampton’ Campaign
Bronze: Brisbane Economic Development Agency ‘Love, Brisbane’ Campaign

Tourism Restaurants and Catering Services

Gold: Sea World Cruises
Silver: Humble on Duke

Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries

Gold: Tamborine Mountain Distillery
Silver: O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards
Bronze: Heritage Estate Winery