Ecotourism Australia Members Rewarded at State Tourism Awards
Over the past four weeks, the winners of State Tourism Awards have been announced at gala nights across the country and Ecotourism Australia (EA) has been thrilled to see our members make up 25% of winners in eligible categories. Fifty one (51) EA members, making up over 10% of EA’s total membership base, took home seventy one (71) awards this year. A remarkable result with better than one in ten members of Ecotourism Australia being acknowledged as winners at the State Tourism Awards.
“Ecotourism Australia members have yet again proven that quality businesses produce quality experiences for visitors. This is another fantastic result heading into the Nationals where we are hoping for a repeat of last year’s success where 40% of finalists and a third of winners were eco-certified”. Said Rod Hillman – CEO Ecotourism Australia
EA members also took home all awards in the Ecotourism category across all states, excluding only South Australia, with several members taking home awards in multiple categories. Particularly noteworthy are Tasmanian Walking Company (TAS), Sea Darwin (NT), who both won awards in three categories, and AAT Kings (NT & NSW) who won awards across four categories in two States.
The State tourism awards are run each year with the aim to recognise outstanding operators and foster a culture for business development, excellence and innovation. The top winners from each state will go on to compete as finalists against Australia’s finest tourism operators in the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards.
Ecotourism Australia congratulates all the State finalists and wish the winners well as they prepare for the Nationals.
The complete list of EA member award winners are below.
-ENDS-
Rod Hillman
CEO
07 3252 1530 | 0427 279 414
Queensland Tourism Awards 2015:
EA members took home 38% of awards in eligible categories.
Self-Contained Accommodation:
Gold – O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat and Villas (Advanced Ecotourism & ROC Certified)
Qantas Awards for Excellence in Sustainable Tourism:
Gold – Fun Over Fifty (Advanced Ecotourism & Climate Action Leader)
Silver – Lady Elliot Island Eco Retreat (Advanced Ecotourism & Climate Action Business)
Tourist Attractions:
Gold – Daintree Discovery Centre (Advanced Ecotourism, ROC & Climate Action Business)
Silver – Cobbold Gorge Tours (Advanced Ecotourism)
The Steve Irwin Award for Ecotourism:
Gold – Daintree Discovery Centre (Advanced Ecotourism, ROC & Climate Action Business)
Silver – True Blue Sailing (Ecotourism & Climate Action Business)
Bronze – Lady Elliot Island Eco Retreat (Advanced Ecotourism & Climate Action Business)
Cultural Tourism:
Silver – Mossman Gorge Centre (Ecotourism & ROC)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism:
Gold – Tjapukai Indigenous Experience (Advanced Ecotourism)
Business Event Venues:
Silver – O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat Villas and Lost World Spa (Advanced Ecotourism & ROC Certified)
Major Tour and Transport Operators:
Gold – Reef Magic Cruises (Advanced Ecotourism)
Silver – Ocean Rafting (Advanced Ecotourism & Climate Action Innovator)
Bronze – Cruise Whitsundays (Advanced Ecotourism)
Tour and Transport Operators:
Gold – Ocean Safari (Advanced Ecotourism)
Silver – Fun Over Fifty (Advanced Ecotourism & Climate Action Leader)
Adventure Tourism:
Gold – Seawalker @ Green Island (Advanced Ecotourism & Climate Action Business)
Bronze – Ocean Rafting (Advanced Ecotourism & Climate Action Innovator)
Victorian Tourism Awards 2015:
EA members took home 16% of awards in eligible categories.
Major Tourist Attractions:
Silver: Phillip Island Nature Park (Advanced Ecotourism & ROC)
Ecotourism:
Winner – Peninsula Hot Springs (Nature Tourism)
Silver – Eco-Logic Education & Environment Services (Advanced Ecotourism)
Tour & Transport Operators:
Silver – Wildlife Coast Cruises (Advanced Ecotourism)
Adventure Tourism:
Gold: Enchanted Adventure Garden (Nature Tourism)
Silver – Auswalk Walking Holiday (Advanced Ecotourism)
South Australian Tourism Awards 2015:
EA members took home 22% of awards in eligible categories.
Major Tourist Attractions:
Gold – Calypso Star Charters (Advanced Ecotourism)
Tourist Attractions:
Adventure Bay Charters (Advanced Ecotourism)
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Tourism:
Aboriginal Cultural Tours – South Australia (Nature Tourism & ROC Certified)
Specialised Tourism Services:
Getaways South Australia (Advanced Ecotourism & Climate Action Business)
Adventure Tourism:
Calypso Star Charters (Advanced Ecotourism)
Gold – Adventure Bay Charters (Advanced Ecotourism)
Gold – Kangaroo Island Outdoor Action (Advanced Ecotourism)
Deluxe Accommodation:
Yondah Beach House (Ecotourism)
Self Contained Accommodation:
The Frames (Nature Tourism)
Tasmanian Tourism Awards 2015:
EA members took home 20% of awards in eligible categories.
Ecotourism:
Gold: Tasmanian Walking Company (Advanced Ecotourism)
Silver: Par Avion Wilderness Tours (Nature Tourism)
Major Tour and Transport Operators:
Par Avion Wilderness Tours (Nature Tourism)
Adventure Tourism:
Tasmania Walking Company (Advanced Ecotourism)
Qantas Award for Excellence in Sustainable Tourism:
Tasmanian Walking Company (Advanced Ecotourism)
Tourist Attractions:
Bruny Island Cruises (Advanced Ecotourism)
Western Australian Tourism Awards 2015:
EA members took home 25% of awards in eligible categories.
Tourist Attractions:
Silver – Willie Creek Pearl Farm (Ecotourism)
Ecotourism:
Gold – Sail Ningaloo (Advanced Ecotourism & Climate Action Business)
Silver – Ocean Park Aquarium (Ecotourism)
Bronze – Charter 1 (Advanced Ecotourism)
Specialised Tourism Services:
Gold – Willie Creek Pearl Farm (Ecotourism)
Visitor Information and Services:
Gold – Exmouth Visitor Centre (Business member)
Major Tour and Transport Operators:
Silver – Helispirit (Ecotourism)
Tour & Transport Operators:
Silver: Cape to Cape Explorer Tours (Advanced Ecotourism)
Adventure Tourism:
Silver – Three Islands Whale Shark Dive (Ecotourism)
Bronze – Sail Ningaloo (Advanced Ecotourism & Climate Action Business)
New Tourism Business:
Bronze – Walk Into Luxury (Advanced Ecotourism)
Northern Territory Tourism – Brolga Awards 2015:
EA members took home 47% of awards in eligible categories.
Ecotourism:Sea Darwin (Advanced Ecotourism)
Cultural Tourism:Venture North (Advanced Ecotourism & ROC)
Major Tour & Transport Operator:AAT Kings (Ecotourism)
Tourism Restaurants & Catering Services:AAT Kings (Ecotourism)
Food Tourism:Sea Darwin (Advanced Ecotourism)
Qantas Award for Excellence in Sustainable Tourism:Sea Darwin (Advanced Ecotourism)
Chairman’s Choice:AAT Kings (Ecotourism)
New South Wales Tourism Awards 2015:
EA members took home 33% of awards in eligible categories.
Major Tourist Attractions:
Gold & Hall of Fame – Taronga Zoo Sydney (Advanced Ecotourism)
Tourist Attractions:
Gold – Cape Byron State Conservation Area (Nature Tourism)
Silver – Taronga Western Plains Zoo (Advanced Ecotourism)
Ecotourism:
Gold – Tri State Safaris (Advanced Ecotourism)
Silver – Oz Whale Watching/Sydney Princess Cruises (Advanced Ecotourism)
Adventure Tourism:
Gold – TreeTops (Ecotourism)
Silver – Tri State Safaris (Advanced Ecotourism)
Bronze – Life’s an Adventure (Ecotourism)
Major Tour and/or Transport Operators:
Gold – AAT Kings (Ecotourism)
Tour and/or Transport Operators:
Gold – Oz Whale Watching/Sydney Princess Cruises (Advanced Ecotourism)
Silver – Life’s an Adventure (Ecotourism)
Hosted Accommodation:
Gold – Eldee Station (Advanced Ecotourism & Climate Action Business)
Unique Accommodation:
Gold – Taronga Western Plains Zoo (Advanced Ecotourism)
Bronze – Byron Bay Cottages Cape Byron State Conservation Area (Nature Tourism)
People’s Choice Award:
Winner – TreeTops Central Coast (Ecotourism)