Ecotourism gets ready to shine again at Qantas Australian Tourism Awards 2016!
Ecotourism Australia would like to wish the best of luck to all 28 of our eco certified members and Protected Area Manager (PAMs) members who have made it through as finalists in the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards! The awards take place in Darwin this Friday night, 24 February.
33 State award winners across the 25 award categories are certified members of Ecotourism Australia – highlighting the significant contribution that ecotourism makes to the Australian tourism industry, and the high quality of experiences offered by our certified members. Several of our members are finalists in more than one category.
In addition, three National finalists - Freycinet National Park, Kakadu National Park, and Seal Bay Conservation Park are PAMs members of Ecotourism Australia.
The 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards Gala Night will take place at the Darwin Convention Centre. Our CEO and Chairman, Rod Hillman and Rick Murray, will be attending the event to cheer on our members as they compete alongside some of the best tourism operators in the country. Ecotourism Australia is thrilled to see our members make up over 24% of finalists in eligible categories.
“The Tourism Awards process allows an owner or manager to scrutinise every aspect of their business and then work to improve it towards excellence. It’s very heartening to see so many of our members being recognised as excellent businesses”, said Rick Murray.
More than 800 people are expected to attend the annual Awards including sponsors, industry partners and state/territory tourism award winners.
Ecotourism Australia is also proud to be the sponsor of the Ecotourism category at the 2016 awards; of which the majority of finalists are all eco certified members.
We will have our fingers crossed for our members this Friday and we're excited to celebrate and share the success of our members with you very soon!
Here's a list of all Ecotourism Australia certified members attending the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards as finalists:
Tourist Attractions:
WA: Willie Creek Pearls
NSW: Taronga Western Plains Zoo
QLD: Cobbold Gorge Tours
TAS: Bruny Island Cruises
SA: Calypso Star Charters
Ecotourism:
QLD: Fun Over Fifty
NSW: Byron Bay Eco Cruises & Kayaks
VIC: Peninsula Hot Springs
NT: World Expeditions
WA: Sail Ningaloo
TAS: Tasmanian Walking Company
Cultural Tourism:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism:
SA: Aboriginal Cultural Tours - South Australia
QLD: Mossman Gorge Centre
Specialised Tourism Services:
Major Tour and Transport Operators:
NSW: AAT Kings New South Wales
VIC: Bunyip Tours
TAS: Par Avion Wilderness Tours
NT: AAT Kings Northern Territory - AAT Kings
QLD: Ocean Rafting
Tour and Transport Operators:
QLD: Fun Over Fifty
Adventure Tourism:
QLD: Tangatours
TAS: The Maria Island Walk
VIC: Auswalk Walking Holidays
SA: Calypso Star Charters
Tourism Restaurants and Catering Services:
NT: AAT Kings Uluru BBQ Dinner - AAT Kings
Hosted Accommodation:
NSW: Eldee Station
QLD: Cobbold Gorge Tours - Village
Unique Accommodation:
NSW: Taronga Western Plains Zoo
QLD: Cruise Whitsundays - Reefsleep
Self Contained Accommodation:
SA: The Frames (Emaroo Cottages)
Deluxe Accommodation:
Luxury Accommodation:
NT: Cicada Lodge
Make sure you follow 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards (QATA) on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest updates.
-ENDS-
Rod Hillman
CEO Ecotourism Australia
07 3252 1530 | 0427 279 414
ceo@ecotourism.org.au