2024 North Coast Tourism Awards Finalists

The Outstanding Tourism Employee Award recognises an inspirational tourism employee who has demonstrated a passion for their role and a commitment to their workplace and the tourism industry. The entrant needs to articulate how they contribute to the tourism industry.

Entry criteria

Entrants are required to demonstrate their commitment over the past 12 months to their workplace, the tourism industry and to being an outstanding employee. To be eligible to enter this category, the individual must have been employed by their current employer for a minimum of 18 months and supply a letter of endorsement of application when making their application.

The Outstanding Young Tourism Business Leader Award recognises an inspirational tourism business leader aged 35 years or under who has demonstrated a commitment to their workplace, tourism industry, and the community through leadership. The entrant needs to articulate how they contribute to the broader tourism industry beyond their own commercial focus.

Entry criteria

Entrants are required to demonstrate their commitment over the past 12 months to creating a smarter and more inclusive future and to being an outstanding tourism business leader. To be eligible to enter this category, the individual must have held a position within their organisation for a minimum of 18 months at the time of entry.

The Outstanding Tourism Business Leader Award recognises an inspirational tourism business leader aged 36 years or over who has demonstrated a commitment to their workplace, tourism industry, and the community through leadership, whilst providing mentorship to others. The entrant needs to articulate how they contribute to the broader tourism industry beyond their own commercial focus.

Entry criteria

Entrants are required to demonstrate their commitment over the past 12 months to creating a smarter and more inclusive future and to being an outstanding mentor and tourism business leader. To be eligible to enter this category, the individual must have held senior management or executive level position within their organisation for a minimum of 18 months at the time of entry.

This category recognises visitor attractions that people visit for pleasure and interest. It will recognise attractions that understand the importance of visitor engagement for a region’s economy and reputation. The entrant needs to articulate the alignment of the attraction with community and cultural values of the region and how it offers an exceptional visitor experience.

Entry criteria

Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months and demonstrate how their attraction showcases the region/community and how their offering is unique within their industry sector.

The attraction will be a visitor experience, contributing to the visitor economy with a significant proportion of business generated by people visiting from outside the local area.Retail outlets, sporting venues and theatres are not eligible to apply unless there is also a tour, museum or exhibition element included.

Guided tours that are not based within a visitor attraction should apply for the relevant tour category.

This category recognises tourism leisure festivals, events and exhibitions that enhance the profile/ awareness and appeal of the destination they are held in as well as creating economic impact, increased visitation and community involvement.

This category is open to (but not limited to) sporting, arts, historical, cultural, literary, humorous, culinary, music and general interest festivals, events and exhibitions.

Entry criteria

Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months and demonstrate how their festival/event showcases the region/community and how their offering is unique within their industry sector.

The Excellence in Cultural Tourism category recognises Indigenous and non-Indigenous tourism businesses that foster a greater understanding and appreciation of authentic culture, history, heritage and/or the arts. The business needs to articulate how they demonstrate authenticity and cultivate a greater understanding of history and traditions, art or culture.

Entry criteria

Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months and demonstrate how their business showcases the region/community and how their offering is unique within their industry sector.

The Excellence in Tourism Services (retail, hire and support services) category recognises businesses that inform, sell/lease/hire goods or services or otherwise support and contribute to the tourism industry. The contribution to the tourism industry and visitor economy must be obvious and apparent in the service provided or goods sold/leased/ hired (e.g., visitor information services, equipment hire, ticket sales centre etc).

The business needs to articulate how they promote the region as well as offering an exceptional visitor experience.

Entry criteria

Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months and demonstrate how their business showcases the region/community and how their offering is unique within their industry sector.

This category recognises event venues servicing business events and conferences, music events and/or leisure events. The business needs to articulate an excellent understanding of their market, how they promote the region and well as offering exceptional visitor experience to their visitor market.

Entry criteria

Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months and demonstrate how their business showcases the region/community and how their offering is unique within their industry sector.

The Tour and Transport Operator of the Year category recognises a business who makes a major contribution in the combined provision of touring and transport services and understands the importance of visitor engagement for a region’s economy and reputation. The business needs to articulate how they promote the region as well as offering an exceptional visitor experience.

Entry criteria

Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months and demonstrate how their business showcases the region/community and how their offering is unique within their industry sector.

This category is open to food producers, restaurants, providores, tour operators, cooking schools, food attractions, trails and other culinary tourism experiences with local produce as the core component.

The business needs to articulate how they promote the region as well as offering an exceptional visitor and culinary experience.

Entry criteria

Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months and demonstrate how their business showcases the region/community and how their offering is unique within their industry sector.

This category recognises specialised tourism businesses encompassing nature-based or farm-based activities that increase visitor appreciation and understanding of natural, social and farming values of the region. Businesses in this category are managed to ensure they are ecologically, economically and socially sustainable, and contribute to the wellbeing and conservation of the natural areas and local communities where they operate. Farm-based experiences should also connect people to product or produce, delivered on farming land through a direct “on farm” experience.

Entry criteria

Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months and demonstrate how their business showcases the region/community and how their offering is unique within their industry sector.

Outstanding Accommodation Experience category recognises businesses that provide an outstanding accommodation experience. The focus of this award is on both the facilities and services that enhance the visitor experience. The business needs to articulate how they promote the region as well as offering an exceptional customer and visitor experience.

Entry criteria

Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months and demonstrate how their business showcases the region/community and how their offering is unique within their industry sector.

Excellence in Camping, Glamping and/or Caravanning recognises businesses that provide an outstanding camping/ caravanning experience. The focus of this award is on both the facilities and services that enhance the tourism experience. The business needs to articulate how they promote the region as well as offering an exceptional visitor experience.

Entry criteria

Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months and demonstrate how their business showcases the region/community and how their offering is unique within their industry sector.

The Excellence in Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries category recognises wineries, distilleries and boutique breweries that offer a dedicated visitor experience (e.g. cellar door experience or back-of-house type experience) that informs, educates and deepens the visitor’s connection to the business and region, and that creates a significant contribution to the visitor economy.

Entry criteria

Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months and demonstrate how their business showcases the region/community and how their offering is unique within their industry sector.

This broad category is open to businesses that have shown innovation in their activities to support digital advancement, marketing, sustainability, accessibility and inclusiveness to benefit visitors to the region and positively contribute to the visitor economy. Businesses that have implemented innovative solutions for new and existing needs through the introduction of digital technology that positively impacts the visitor experience along with those who have embraced sustainable tourism principles (carbon-neutral, net zero, B Corp businesses etc) or who are delivering tourism products or services that are welcoming for people of all abilities will be recognised in this category.

Definitions:

• The Global Sustainable Tourism Council defines an inclusive tourism business as one which works to offer positive travel experiences to people with different needs by addressing them from various perspectives, and by providing design and service solutions that aim to cover as many different groups as possible.
• Digital Innovation – for the purpose of this award category, Digital Innovation is defined as “The applications of digital technology to facilitate existing business processes efficiency, improve customer experience, develop new products and services, or create new business models.”
• Sustainable tourism is defined by the UN Environment Program and UN World Tourism Organization as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities”.

Entry criteria

Entrants are required to demonstrate their commitment over the past 12 months to address the needs of a diverse community. This category is open to businesses that have been trading for a continuous period of two or more years.

The Outstanding Start-up Award recognises a start-up tourism business that has effectively driven growth and is able to demonstrate the potential to achieve future success. The business needs to articulate how they promote the region as well as offering an exceptional visitor experience.

Entry criteria

Entrants are required to demonstrate their commitment over the past 12 months to being an outstanding tourism start-up. The category is open to new businesses trading for a period of less than 24 months.

• An existing business that has diversified by adding a new product at the same location or a different location may only apply if the new product is marketed as a standalone operation and is available independently to the other products offered by the business. An existing business that has undergone a refurbishment or re-vamp would not be eligible.
• An existing business with new owners will only be eligible if a fundamental change to the business has occurred within 24 months of the new owners starting trading. A fundamental change would include at least two of the following:

• • significant investment
  • rebrand/name change/change to business registration
  • significant change in target market.

The Excellence in Wellness Tourism category recognises businesses that focus on healthy lifestyles, wellness, fitness, wellbeing and/or mindfulness. The business needs to demonstrate their achievements in Wellness Tourism and in attracting visitors to participate in their activities and those of the wider region.

The business needs to articulate how they promote the region as well as offering an exceptional visitor experience.

Entry criteria

Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months and demonstrate how their business showcases the region/community and how their offering is unique within their industry sector.

Business of the Year is open to all winners of the following categories:

• Tourist Attraction of the Year
• Festival & Event of the Year
• Excellence in Cultural Tourism (including First Nations tourism, art and culture, history and heritage)
• Excellence in Tourism Services (including retail, hire and support services)
• Event Venue of the Year
• Tour and Transport Operator of the Year
• Excellence in Food Tourism
• Excellence in Specialised Tourism (including agritourism, ecotourism and adventure tourism)
• Outstanding Accommodation Experience
• Excellence in Camping, Glamping and/or Caravanning
• Excellence in Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries
• Excellence in Innovation (including digital, marketing, sustainability, and/or accessible and inclusive tourism)
• Outstanding Tourism Start-Up
• Excellence in Wellness Tourism

This award is awarded to a business that has been judged to be an outstanding business, that has provided an entry that demonstrates achievements and excellence over and above all other entrants. This award will be judged by a panel of three judges that have not judged any other entries in the awards.