Whitsundays Tourism Awards 2009
The Whitsundays night of nights, the 2009 Whitsunday Tourism Awards, was again a hit with the sell out crowd at the Airlie Esplanade last night.
Dressed to the nines in their best frocks and suits, the biggest crowd on record of 330 guests wined and dined to celebrate Whitsunday tourisms’ best.
The Whitsundays night of nights, the 2009 Whitsunday Tourism Awards, was again a hit with the sell out crowd at the Airlie Esplanade last night.
Dressed to the nines in their best frocks and suits, the biggest crowd on record of 330 guests wined and dined to celebrate Whitsunday tourisms’ best.
Tourism Whitsundays Chief Executive Officer Peter O’Reilly said the Whitsunday Tourism Awards was the region’s premier tourism event, established to pay tribute to the enormous contribution made by the region’s tourism operators and service providers and to encourage excellence within the industry.
“The awards seek to recognise growth in tourism products and services as well as sustainable economic and social benefits that flow from a booming tourism industry,” Mr O’Reilly said.
“The prestige of being recognised by peers and as a Whitsunday Tourism Award winner is regarded highly,” he said.
Tourism Whitsundays would like to congratulate and recognise the following winners of this year’s awards:
| Category | Winner |
| Small Business – Non Tourism | WheelieDesigns.com |
| Significant Business – Non Tourism | MRAEL |
| Not for Profit Group | Rotary Club of Airlie Beach |
| Tourism Education and Training | Hamilton Island Enterprises – Learning and Development Program |
| Specialised Tourism Services | Daydream Island Resort and Spa – Rejuvenation Spa |
| New Tourism Development | Summit Apartments Airlie Beach |
| Tourism Restaurant and Catering Services | Fish D’vine |
| Tourist and Caravan Park | Discovery Holiday Park Bowen |
| Hosted Accommodation | Waterfront Whitsunday Retreat |
| Unique Accommodation | Fantasea Adventure Cruising - Reefsleep |
| Standard Accommodation | Ocean Hotels and Tourism – Long Island Resort |
| Deluxe Accommodation | Peppers Palm Bay |
| Luxury Accommodation | Hamilton Island Enterprises – qualia |
| Tour and/or Transport Operator | Ocean Dynamics |
| Major Tour and/or Transport Operator | Fantasea Adventure Cruising |
| Adventure Tourism | Islandive.com |
| Tourist Attraction | Fantasea Adventure Cruising - Reefworld |
| Festival or Event – including $2000 prize from QLD Events | Airlie Beach Hotel – 2009 Food and Wine Festival |
| Major Festival or Event | Hamilton Island Enterprises – Audi Hamilton Island Race Week Silver Jubilee |
| Steve Irwin Eco Tourism Award | Tall Ship Adventures – Eco Tall Ship Adventures |
| Excellence in Sustainable Tourism | Paradise Bay Eco Escape |
| Outstanding Contribution by a volunteer or volunteer group | Rotary Club of Airlie Beach |
| Young Achiever’s Award | Nah Turnbull, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service |
| Outstanding Contribution by an Individual | Mark Bell, Airlie Beach Hotel |
The Hall of Fame award is a prestigious award given to those businesses which have shown outstanding performance in their chosen category. These businesses have won in their selected category for three consecutive years. After their induction into the Hall of Fame the business becomes exempt from entering the awards for the next two years.
Big4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort was last night inducted into the Hall of Fame at the awards, after winning the Tourist and Caravan Park category for three consecutive years. Also currently sitting in the Hall of Fame are:
- Heritage and Cultural Tourism - Proserpine Museum
- Major Tour and Transport Operators – Aviation Tourism Australia
- Tour and Transport Operators – Aviation Adventures
- Adventure Tourism – Tallship Adventures
- Backpacker Accommodation – Beaches Backpackers
- Deluxe Accommodation – Daydream Island Resort & Spa
Those businesses who won awards for the third consecutive year in 2009 will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at 2010’s Tourism Awards.
“The annual Whitsunday Tourism Awards is a night not only to celebrate individual achievements in the pursuit of excellence in tourism development, but also to acknowledge businesses and individuals that through their efforts and support have helped to grow the Whitsunday region,” Mr O’Reilly said.
“On behalf of Tourism Whitsundays I would like to thank these businesses and individuals for their contribution, as well as the high quality of entries received this year,” he said.