Latest news with #TopTourismTownAwards
Time Out
24-07-2025
- Time Out
These three regional Victorian destinations have been crowned the Top Tourism Towns for 2025
Drum roll, please! It's the moment you've all been waiting for – last month we shared the news that 25 townships across regional Victoria were vying for gold in the annual Top Tourism Town Awards, and now the three big winners have finally been revealed. Huge congratulations are in order for Warrnambool, winner of Victoria's Top Tourism Town (population 5,000+); Mount Beauty, winner of the Top Small Tourism Town Award (population 1,500-5,000); and Trentham, winner of the Top Tiny Tourism Town Award (population less than 1,500). And we've gotta say, what a line-up of worthy locations! Warrnambool – aka the largest town along the Great Ocean Road – is a vibrant coastal hub boasting a rich maritime history, excellent beaches and some of the best whale watching in the state. Mount Beauty, tucked away in the Victorian Alps, is an outdoor enthusiast's dream offering mountain biking, fishing, hiking, horse riding and snow sports. And the charming hamlet of Trentham (just an hour from Melbourne) is beloved for its country pubs, boutique shops and art galleries, and lush natural splendour. Second and third place honours were also announced, with Ballarat, Port Fairy and Halls Gap taking out the silver medals in their respective categories, while bronze commendations went to Echuca, Portarlington and Whitfield. The Top Tourism Town Awards are run by the Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC), and celebrate the regional destinations that go above and beyond to offer incredible experiences for visitors. To be in the running, each town had to make a submission that demonstrated a strong commitment to tourism, dedication to increasing visitation to the region and collaboration with local businesses. A panel of expert judges then chose the finalists, before voting was handed over to the public in order to determine the ultimate winners. The three Victorian winners will now go on to compete on a national level for the highly coveted title of Australia's Top Tourism Town. The event will take place on September 3 at Parliament House in Canberra. Good luck to our local legends! And we'll keep you posted if any of the destinations take home the big one – here's hoping.
West Australian
03-06-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Exmouth, Kalbarri, Geraldton and Denham feature prominently in 7NEWS 2025 Top Tourism Town Awards
Tourism jewels along WA's Coral Coast shimmered in all kinds of variety — gold, silver and bronze — at the 2025 7NEWS Top Tourism Town Awards last week. In an incredible feat, Exmouth won gold in the small tourism town category for the fourth year in a row, with Bridgetown and York coming in second and third. Kalbarri scored back-to-back gold, taking out the tiny tourism town category ahead of Pemberton (silver) and Denham (bronze). Exmouth and Kalbarri scored a $10,000 and $5000 airtime package respectively to promote their towns on 7 Regional WA. Geraldton's night had a massive silver lining, awarded silver for the fourth consecutive year in the top tourism town category, pipped at the post by Fremantle. The winners were announced at the 2025 Perth Airport WA Tourism Conference dinner last Wednesday night. The gold winner in each category will also receive a professionally produced Storytowns custom audio guide of their town, featuring two local legends. More than 8000 people voted for their favourite tiny, small and top tourism towns. 'Congratulations to this year's winners of the Top Tourism Town Awards. Fremantle, Exmouth, and Kalbarri have all displayed an exceptional commitment to delivering high-quality visitor experiences,' Tourism Council WA CEO Evan Hall said. 'All medallists have impressed both an industry panel of judges and the public through consumer voting. They will now go on to represent Western Australia on a national level in the Australian Top Tourism Town Awards in September.' City of Greater Geraldton mayor Jerry Clune said the city was proud to claim another silver and gave a 'huge shout out' to all the other Coral Coast localities for their achievements. The 11th version of the WA Tourism Conference will be held in Carnarvon between May 25 and 27, 2026. More than 200 delegates are expected from across WA, providing a significant boost to the local economy. Shire president Eddie Smith said it was a thrilling moment for the Carnarvon community. 'Carnarvon is a place of stories from ancient landscapes and rich Aboriginal culture to our world-class produce and iconic attractions. Hosting this event will allow us to share our region's unique character with industry leaders from across the State and showcase why Carnarvon deserves to be on every visitor's itinerary,' he said.
