Saluting the best of the best in Australian tourism

From major international operators to single-person businesses, Australia's best of the best in the tourism industry have been honoured at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards.

In an event held at Doltone House in Pyrmont, the tourism industry celebrated the premier tourism businesses in the country.

“This is the biggest annual celebration of tourism business excellence in Australia - and we have much to celebrate recognising and elevating the very best of what tourism has to offer in this great country of ours,” said Shaun de Bruyn, chairperson, Australian Tourism Awards.

 
“Each of our award nominees have reached the status of absolute excellence in tourism and business.

“As an industry we are susceptible to many external factors, which has been highlighted over the past several years, but we continue to innovate, collaborate and come back strong. Many of our tourism operators are going from strength to strength, bouncing back after the worst of the pandemic."

There were 75 awards presented across 25 categories with a gold, silver and bronze winner
announced for each category.

Here is the full list of winners:

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Island Tourism Experience
GOLD- wukalina Walk TAS
SILVER - Spirits of the Red Sand QLD
BRONZE - Angkerle Atwatye - Standley Chasm NT

Cultural Tourism
GOLD - Geelong Gallery VIC
SILVER - The Cedars Hahndorf SA
BRONZE - Venture North Safaris NT

 

Adventure Tourism
GOLD - The Hike Collective WA
SILVER- Ocean Rafting QLD
BRONZE - Bendleby Ranges SA

New Tourism Business
GOLD - Wildcat Mackay QLD
SILVER – CENTREPIECE at Melbourne Park VIC
BRONZE – Sequoia Lodge SA

Tour & Transport Operators
GOLD - Fun Over 50 Holidays QLD
SILVER - The Hike Collective WA
BRONZE - Air Adventure Golf TAS

Major Tour & Transport Operators
GOLD - SeaLink WA
SILVER- Searoad Ferries VIC
BRONZE - Sea World Cruises QLD

Caravan & Holiday Parks
GOLD - BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort QLD
SILVER - BIG4 St Helens Holiday Park TAS
BRONZE - Oasis Tourist Park NT

Hosted Accommodation
GOLD - Bli Bli House QLD
SILVER - Tallawarra Homestead VIC
BRONZE - Redwing Farm SA

Unique Accommodation
GOLD - Jamala Wildlife Lodge CBR
SILVER - Woodhouse Activity Centre SA
BRONZE - Mitchell Grass Retreat QLD

Self-Contained Accommodation
GOLD - The Woods Ocean Grove VIC
SILVER - Tree Chalets WA
BRONZE - Villa Talia TAS

Ecotourism
GOLD - Live Ningaloo WA
SILVER - Tasmanian Walking Company TAS
BRONZE - Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort QLD

Tourism Retail and Hire Services
GOLD - Willie Creek Pearls WA
SILVER - Sydney Harbour Kayaks NSW
BRONZE - Uluru Audio Guide NT

Visitor Information Services
GOLD - Mudgee Region Tourism NSW
SILVER - Quilpie Visitor Information Centre, Museum & Gallery QLD
BRONZE - Bendigo Visitor Centre VIC

Business Event Venues
GOLD - Pullman Bunker Bay Resort WA
SILVER - Darwin Convention Centre NT
BRONZE - Peppers Silo Hotel TAS

Tourism Restaurants & Catering Services
GOLD - Char Restaurant and The Darwin Club at Admiralty House NT
SILVER - Potager NSW
BRONZE - Mures Tasmania TAS

Tourism Wineries, Distilleries & Breweries
GOLD - Bangor Vineyard Shed TAS
SILVER - Courabyra Wines NSW
BRONZE - Billson's Brewery VIC

Tourism Marketing & Campaigns
GOLD – ‘Viva Bendigo’ by City of Greater Bendigo VIC
SILVER - MidCoast Council - Destination Barrington Coast NSW
BRONZE - Tourism Tropical North Queensland QLD

Excellence in Food Tourism
GOLD - Coal River Farm TAS
SILVER - CORE Cider House WA
BRONZE - Margan Wines & Restaurant NSW

3-3.5 Star Accommodation
GOLD - Urban Camp Melbourne VIC
SILVER - Broadwater Resort Busselton WA
BRONZE - Magnums Unique Accommodation Airlie Beach QLD

4-4.5 Star Deluxe Accommodation
GOLD - Cape York Peninsula Lodge QLD
SILVER - Ship Inn Stanley TAS
BRONZE - The Byng Street Boutique Hotel NSW

5 Star Luxury Accommodation
GOLD - Mt Hay Retreat NSW
SILVER - COMO The Treasury WA
BRONZE - Eos by SkyCity Adelaide SA

Festivals & Events
GOLD - Outback Queensland Masters QLD
SILVER - Macedon Ranges Autumn Festival VIC
BRONZE – Tumbafest Inc NSW

Major Festivals & Events
GOLD - The Darwin Festival NT
SILVER - Tesselaar KaBloom VIC
BRONZE - Optus Stadium – AFL Grand Final 2021 WA

Tourist Attractions
GOLD – Bundaberg Rum Distillery Visitor Experience QLD
SILVER – Katherine Outback Experience NT
BRONZE – Willie Creek Pearl Farm WA

Major Tourist Attractions
GOLD - Adelaide Zoo SA
SILVER - National Zoo & Aquarium CBR 

BRONZE - Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary QLD

Image: Bangor Vineyard Shed  

Austrian wine industry a runaway success story

 

The Austrian wine industry continues to boom across international markets.

In 2022, the value of Austrian exports reached a new record level of Є231 million.

White wines and Sekt (sparkling wines) saw the greatest growth in value and Austrian wine was in particularly high demand in Canada, the US and northern Europe.


Statistics Austria figures show Austria exported 67.7 million litres of wine in 2022, equivalent to Є231.3 million euros in value.

Although volume was slightly lower than the previous year (-3.5%), value rose by 6.4%.

“Success in the export markets, and especially the record average price, is very important for our wine industry," said Chris Yorke, CEO of Austrian Wine (the Austrian Wine Marketing Board).

"The current wave of inflation is hitting our winegrowers hard, which is why we need to focus on growing their added value."

Austria’s white Qualitätswein was in particularly high demand (+7.9% in value).

“We have noticed that our white wines are really hitting the spot with international consumers and demand is continually growing,” says Yorke. Demand for Sekt also continued to rise (+19.3%) from a lower base.


Exports to Canada showed a 46.7% increase in value and over the last five years, the value of exports to the Canadian market has grown more than sevenfold.

The US was also on the upswing, recording an 11.2% rise in value.

The UK was on a downward trajectory in 2022, dropping 38% in value - largely due to complications caused by the idiocy known as Brexit.

Major Tasmanian tourism attraction faces shutdown

One of the biggest tourism attractions in Tasmania - the West Coast Wilderness Railway - is to shut from June.

Tourism Tasmania reported that the railway, which can operate between Queenstown and Strahan in the west of Tasmania, will shut to undergo major upgrade work during the winter in a bid to improve the reliability of the operation.

The railway is already offering reduced services following a recent derailment and all services will close from June 5.

Railway operations are expected to recommence gradually in time for the peak summer tourism season of 2023-24.

In response to the shutdown, the Tasmanian Government has developed a $1 million support program to drive continued visitation, while also supporting West Coast operators to invest in their businesses during the winter period.

The program includes:a targeted travel voucher program to encourage Tasmanians to visit the west and enjoy the attractions that are open during winter.

The West Coast Council and West by North West regional tourism organisation will develop a heritage tourism masterplan to ensure the railway is developed and enhanced as a visitor attraction for the long term and linked to other ventures.

Further information on the support package, including the travel voucher and grant program will be available soon.

Anyone with tickets booked on affected services will be contacted directly and provided a full refund.

Passengers booked on services out of Queenstown between now and June 5 will not be affected by the shutdown.

All staff will be retained and cafés located in Queenstown and Strahan will continue to operate.

Mapping 50 years of wine history in Marlborough

Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) has announced the launch of the Wine Map of Marlborough, a reference tool that delineates the major New Zealand wine growing region for the first time.

The release of the map coincides with the 50th anniversary of the first commercial vineyards being planted in Marlborough. Vineyards now occupying around 30,000 hectares and Marlborough is a global touchpoint for sauvignon blanc. 

Marlborough is home to three-quarters of all wine grape plantings in New Zealand.

“Naturally, sub-regions with distinct microclimates and stylistic features have been identified over this time,” says John Buchanan, AMW chair. 

“The Wine Map of Marlborough represents the first genuine attempt to map these in a detailed way.”

AMW is a member-led organisation established in 2018 to protect the integrity, authenticity and brand value of wines produced within its region.

The map project was driven by the Marlborough Wine Map Collective (MWMC), a team of five AMW members comprising Simon Waghorn of Astrolabe, Matt Thomson and Sophie Parker-Thomson MW of Blank Canvas, Ivan Sutherland of Dog Point, Brian Bicknell of Mahi and Brendan Neylon of Rapaura Springs. 

“We robustly debated and defined the current sub-regional hierarchy of Marlborough,” says Matt Thomson.

Over a two-year period, the ensemble worked in consultation with Wellington-based cartographer Roger Smith of Geographx and local designer Megan Boreham of Eye Catcher Designs.

“The resulting ‘Wine Map of Marlborough’ is a vital resource in understanding the sub-regional detail and diversity of Marlborough,” says Buchanan.

“We look forward to making it available to a wider audience, including industry colleagues, wine educators, and engaged consumers.”

Simon Waghorn adds: “The Marlborough Wine Map is an important step in creating some guidelines and understanding around our variegated region. 

“The Marlborough appellation can not and should not be simplified to the provincial boundary, we must take a lead from pioneering wine regions who’ve defined their land by geology and geography.”

# The Marlborough Wine Map will be available for purchase direct from Appellation Marlborough Wine with profits returned to the Marlborough Wine Map Collective for research and development.

Consumer watchdog has Qantas in its sights

Consumer organisation CHOICE has Australia's national airline Qantas under fire because of its refund policies.

“CHOICE gave Qantas a 2022 Shonky award in large part for its unfair flight credit system, which has let customers down time and time again over the past few years,” says Patrick Veyret, head of Policy and Government Relations at CHOICE.

“The intense public outrage in response has clearly had some impact on the airline - but there’s much more to do to make all credits workable for all consumers.

 
“Some Qantas flight credits can only be used for a booking of equivalent or greater value - so if you have a $300 flight credit, you can’t use it to book a $290 flight. That is clearly unfair.

“Qantas customers also frequently complain that when they go to rebook a flight at the same time on the same route, they have to pay significantly more when using a credit than they paid for the original flight.

“Flight credits should work like gift cards. People should have the choice to transfer the credits to other people, as well as split the credits over a number of transactions.

In April last year, CHOICE filed a complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) calling out "”onerous restrictions" in Qantas's credit redemption rules.

Qantas is one of the most complained about businesses on the New South Wales Fair Trading Register for the past six months in a row, CHOICE says.

New role for wine industry big gun

Former Yalumba chairman and managing director Nick Waterman has popped up on a new wine industry role: as a board member and chairman for The Usual Suspects Collective.

Waterman recently retired from Yalumba/Hill Smith Family Vineyards after over seven years in the top job, but has now joined the Hesketh family's group, which includes labels like Hesketh, Ox Hardy, St John's Road, Miss Kilm, Barratt, Parker Coonawarra Estate, Vickery and The Usual Suspects.

Waterman held key roles within Yalumba/Samuel Smith & Son dating back to 2003, including being GM of distributors Negociants.

"Nick brings a wealth of wine industry knowledge and experience to the Usual Suspects business, and is charged with overseeing strategy as well as challenging and supporting the executive team and wider business," group managing director Jonathon Hesketh said in a statement.

"He will add an enormous amount of value and is widely and universally respected in the industry. But more importantly, Nick is a great cultural fit."