NSW Tourism Awards

MidCoast Council Destination Barrington Coast was awarded a gold in the local government award for tourism and a silver for tourism marketing and campaigns, while Reflections Holiday Parks, Seal Rocks was given a bronze in the caravan and holiday parks section, Blueys Motel, Blueys Beach took silver in the 4-4.5 star accommodation, Seafarers Diamond Beach also got a silver in excellence in accessible tourism, and Aussie Ark got a bronze in the tourist attractions category.

Conducted by the State's peak tourism organisation NSW Tourism Industry Council, the awards recognise the broad range of services and experiences across the visitor economy

The awards were announced via a virtual ceremony broadcast live to an audience of more than 650 industry guests tuning in from across NSW.

The celebrations were amplified by the smiles and the acceptance speeches streamed live into homes and workplaces in a COVID-safe manner.

"The NSW Tourism Awards are a celebration of the outstanding resilience and innovative spirit demonstrated by our magnificent industry over the past two years," NSW Tourism Industry Council executive manager, Greg Binskin said.

"It's been an extremely challenging period for the NSW visitor economy and after a break in 2020, the return of the NSW Tourism Awards demonstrates the renewed energy of the visitor economy and celebrates the people, places, and vibrant culture of our feel-good State.

"The Tourism Awards categories recognise the broad range of services and experiences across the broader visitor economy.

"It is impressive to see the number of operators and regions who made the most of lockdowns and restricted travel to build new visitor experiences and worked together to attract domestic visitors to their regions.

"The 2021 awards showcase NSW's 'visitor first' approach and our strengths in digital innovation, high-quality product and collaborative efforts.

"These awards are managed by the NSW Tourism Industry Council, supported by Business NSW, and in partnership with the NSW Government and Destination NSW and celebrate our industry's path to recovery, re-energising and unifying all who are working hard to build back better."

Now in its 31st year, the NSW Tourism Awards celebrate business excellence, acknowledge business innovation and reward exceptional customer service. Parts of the 2021 program were modified to reflect the business challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters over the past 12-months.

The NSW Tourism Awards attracted 116 entrants representing a diverse range of businesses from across New South Wales. Finalists across 29 categories are recognised for excellence in a range of tourism areas such as Tourist Attractions, Festivals and Events, Ecotourism, New Tourism Business, Tourism Marketing & Campaigns, Accommodation, Excellence in Accessible Tourism and Local Government Award for Tourism.

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