This category is for attractions which a) market primarily to a national and/or international audience and b) are considered a hallmark destination in their own right. They may be publicly or privately owned and can operate in conjunction with a natural attraction or on their own.
Important notes:
Entrants in this category cannot enter Category 2.
Attractions that are not open all year round will need to explain their basis for seasonal operations.
This category is open to attractions of state/territory importance which, a) market primarily to intrastate and/or interstate visitors and b) significantly contribute to the tourism experience within their metropolitan or country region. Attractions may be developed in conjunction with a natural attraction or on their own.
Important notes:
Entrants in this category cannot enter Category 1.
Attractions that are not open all year round will need to explain their basis for seasonal operations.
This category is open to hallmark festivals or events that a) create substantial economic impact, b) attract visitors from interstate and/or overseas, c) generate national or international media profile, and d) positively promote the destination. They may be one-off or recurring.
Important note:
Entrants in this category cannot enter Category 4.
This category is open to festivals or events that a) create substantial economic impact within the local community, b) attract visitors from intrastate and/or interstate, c) generate regional media profile, and d) positively promote the destination. They may be one-off or recurring.
Important note:
Entrants in this category cannot enter Category 3.
This category aims to recognise ecologically sustainable tourism with a primary focus on experiencing natural areas that foster environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation.
This category aims to recognise tourism operations that foster a greater understanding of history, heritage and/or culture. Entrants should offer visitors an insight into Australia’s history and heritage and its contemporary culture.
This category is open to specialised tourism services, retailers or facilities that enhance the visitor experience and integrate with other tourism products. Entry is open – but not limited to – service providers, shopping precincts, retailers of souvenirs, artefacts and art, airports, computer information systems, member services, money exchange services, language and interpreter services.
This category is open to Visitor Information Centres, Regional Tourist
Associations and Regional Tourism Organisations to recognise their integrated focus on the provision of services to the visitor e.g. reservation service, information delivery etc. This category is not designed for specific marketing and promotion campaigns.
This category is open – but not limited to – conference facilities and other meetings industry operators, service providers and suppliers who maximise the tourism experience for meetings and business travellers.
Important notes:
Conference facilities entering this category should focus on the range and diversity of meetings and business events held at their facility and the flow on tourism benefits.
Accommodation providers entering this category should focus only on their meetings and business events industry activities and the flow-on tourism benefits.
Service providers and suppliers entering this category should focus on the types of meetings and business events they have been directly involved with or managed and the flow on tourism benefits.
Category 11. MAJOR TOUR AND/OR TRANSPORT OPERATORS
This category is open to tour and/or transport operators with 15 or more annual fulltime equivalent employees. It is not a transport award but does recognise a major contribution to tourism through the provision of tour guiding services and transport services. Entrants must offer a tourism experience as a significant part of their operation.
Important note:
Entrants in this category cannot enter Category 12.
This category is open to tour and/or transport operators with fewer than 15 annual fulltime equivalent employees. It is not a transport award but does recognise a significant contribution to tourism through the provision of tour guiding services and transport services. Entrants must offer a tourism experience as a significant part of their operation.
This category is open to operators providing adventure tourism experiences that involve active customer participation. Examples could include – but are not limited to – rafting, ballooning, bushwalking, scuba diving, rock climbing, four-wheel driving, fishing, horse riding and abseiling.
This category recognises excellence in marketing tourism products, regions, destinations, or group projects. Initiatives can include short-term marketing campaigns, ongoing marketing programs or promotional vehicles such as websites etc.
This category is open to individual tourism businesses and tourism education and other registered training providers working to raise professional standards within the tourism industry by delivering tourism training, including online.
This category is open to all restaurants and catering services offering a tourism experience and/or servicing the tourism industry. It is not a food award but does recognise a significant contribution to tourism through the provision of food and beverage. Entry is open – but not limited to – hotel or stand-alone restaurants, event caterers, pubs and cafés.
Category 17. TOURISM WINERIES, DISTILLERIES AND BOUTIQUE BREWERIES
This category is open to all wineries, distilleries and boutique breweries offering a tourism experience and who make a significant contribution to tourism. Entry is open – but not limited to –cellar door sales, tastings or tours.
This category is open to all tourist and caravan parks offering a tourism experience. Entry is open – but not limited to – cabin, caravan and/or tenting accommodation providers.
This category is open to accommodation providers primarily catering to backpackers. The focus of this award is on facilities and services that enhance the tourism experience.
This category is open to owner/operator accommodation providers offering a high degree of personal contact with guests. Entry is open – but not limited to – bed & breakfast, farm stay, cottage or other intimate, boutique, colonial or heritage accommodation.
This category is open – but not limited to – motels, hotels, self-catering, cabins and pub accommodation. The focus of this award is on both the facilities and services that enhance the tourism experience.
This category is open – but not limited to – apartments, hotels, motels and self-catering accommodation. The focus of this award is on both the facilities and services that enhance the tourism experience.
This category is open to – but not limited to – luxury hotels or resorts, with a focus on both the facilities and services that enhance the tourism experience.
This category recognises excellence in the planning of tourism infrastructure and/or services with a focus on entrepreneurial vision, harmonious integration with the environment, design and functionality and uniqueness of the service.
Category 26. QANTAS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
This category is open to tourism operators that exemplify a strong commitment to sustainable and innovative business practices. The award will recognise and showcase successful tourism businesses that set out to minimise their environmental impact, conserve natural resources, respect local cultures and benefit local communities.
Category 27. OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION BY AN INDIVIDUAL
This award recognises the extraordinary personal and professional achievement and contribution by an individual over many years to the Australian, and particularly their State’s tourism industry. Judges consider in particular the activities and contribution of the nominee outside the expectations of normal employment.
This category is open to tourism attractions or tourism businesses that deliver an education program/s to schools or groups to enhance the visitor experience and successfully interpret the vision of the attraction or business. An individual program or suite of programs can be entered. The program/s should be fully or partly facilitated by the organisation.
This award recognises an individual, of 26 years of age or under, working in the tourism industry and their contribution to the development of a vibrant and professional tourism industry. This category is also open to students in all schools of study, who are enrolled at an ACT or regional tertiary or technical institution.
This award recognises quality visitor experiences and is awarded to the three top scoring tourism operators/businesses based on two visitor experience appraisals conducted as part of the tourism award program. The criteria for the visitor experience appraisal includes the facilities, service, staff, website, tourism knowledge and sharing, complaint handling and other relevant items for each entrant type.
Entry Categories
View the 2010 Entry Information
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2010 Categories and Questions:
Category 1. MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
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PDF 306Kb)
This category is for attractions which a) market primarily to a national and/or international audience and b) are considered a hallmark destination in their own right. They may be publicly or privately owned and can operate in conjunction with a natural attraction or on their own.
Important notes:
Category 2. TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
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PDF 299Kb)
This category is open to attractions of state/territory importance which, a) market primarily to intrastate and/or interstate visitors and b) significantly contribute to the tourism experience within their metropolitan or country region. Attractions may be developed in conjunction with a natural attraction or on their own.
Important notes:
Category 3. MAJOR FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
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PDF 299Kb)
This category is open to hallmark festivals or events that a) create substantial economic impact, b) attract visitors from interstate and/or overseas, c) generate national or international media profile, and d) positively promote the destination. They may be one-off or recurring.
Important note:
Category 4. FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
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PDF 260Kb)
This category is open to festivals or events that a) create substantial economic impact within the local community, b) attract visitors from intrastate and/or interstate, c) generate regional media profile, and d) positively promote the destination. They may be one-off or recurring.
Important note:
Category 5. ECOTOURISM
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PDF 259Kb)
This category aims to recognise ecologically sustainable tourism with a primary focus on experiencing natural areas that foster environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation.
Category 6. HERITAGE AND CULTURAL TOURISM
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PDF 33Kb)
This category aims to recognise tourism operations that foster a greater understanding of history, heritage and/or culture. Entrants should offer visitors an insight into Australia’s history and heritage and its contemporary culture.
Category 7. INDIGENOUS TOURISM
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PDF 258Kb)
This category recognises tourism operations that foster a greater understanding of Indigenous culture, history and traditions.
Category 8. SPECIALISED TOURISM SERVICES
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PDF 259Kb)
This category is open to specialised tourism services, retailers or facilities that enhance the visitor experience and integrate with other tourism products. Entry is open – but not limited to – service providers, shopping precincts, retailers of souvenirs, artefacts and art, airports, computer information systems, member services, money exchange services, language and interpreter services.
Category 9. VISITOR INFORMATION AND SERVICES
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PDF 254Kb)
This category is open to Visitor Information Centres, Regional Tourist
Associations and Regional Tourism Organisations to recognise their integrated focus on the provision of services to the visitor e.g. reservation service, information delivery etc. This category is not designed for specific marketing and promotion campaigns.
Category 10. MEETINGS AND BUSINESS TOURISM
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PDF 259Kb)
This category is open – but not limited to – conference facilities and other meetings industry operators, service providers and suppliers who maximise the tourism experience for meetings and business travellers.
Important notes:
Category 11. MAJOR TOUR AND/OR TRANSPORT OPERATORS
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PDF 259Kb)
This category is open to tour and/or transport operators with 15 or more annual fulltime equivalent employees. It is not a transport award but does recognise a major contribution to tourism through the provision of tour guiding services and transport services. Entrants must offer a tourism experience as a significant part of their operation.
Important note:
Category 12. TOUR AND/OR TRANSPORT OPERATORS
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PDF 260Kb)
This category is open to tour and/or transport operators with fewer than 15 annual fulltime equivalent employees. It is not a transport award but does recognise a significant contribution to tourism through the provision of tour guiding services and transport services. Entrants must offer a tourism experience as a significant part of their operation.
Category 13. ADVENTURE TOURISM
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PDF 259Kb)
This category is open to operators providing adventure tourism experiences that involve active customer participation. Examples could include – but are not limited to – rafting, ballooning, bushwalking, scuba diving, rock climbing, four-wheel driving, fishing, horse riding and abseiling.
Category 14. TOURISM MARKETING
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PDF 246Kb)
This category recognises excellence in marketing tourism products, regions, destinations, or group projects. Initiatives can include short-term marketing campaigns, ongoing marketing programs or promotional vehicles such as websites etc.
Category 15. TOURISM EDUCATION AND TRAINING
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PDF 261Kb)
This category is open to individual tourism businesses and tourism education and other registered training providers working to raise professional standards within the tourism industry by delivering tourism training, including online.
Category 16. TOURISM RESTAURANTS & CATERING SERVICES
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PDF 259Kb)
This category is open to all restaurants and catering services offering a tourism experience and/or servicing the tourism industry. It is not a food award but does recognise a significant contribution to tourism through the provision of food and beverage. Entry is open – but not limited to – hotel or stand-alone restaurants, event caterers, pubs and cafés.
Category 17. TOURISM WINERIES, DISTILLERIES AND BOUTIQUE BREWERIES
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PDF 35Kb)
This category is open to all wineries, distilleries and boutique breweries offering a tourism experience and who make a significant contribution to tourism. Entry is open – but not limited to –cellar door sales, tastings or tours.
Category 18. TOURIST AND CARAVAN PARKS
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PDF 34Kb)
This category is open to all tourist and caravan parks offering a tourism experience. Entry is open – but not limited to – cabin, caravan and/or tenting accommodation providers.
Category 19. BACKPACKER ACCOMMODATION
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PDF 34Kb)
This category is open to accommodation providers primarily catering to backpackers. The focus of this award is on facilities and services that enhance the tourism experience.
Category 20. HOSTED ACCOMMODATION
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PDF 34Kb)
This category is open to owner/operator accommodation providers offering a high degree of personal contact with guests. Entry is open – but not limited to – bed & breakfast, farm stay, cottage or other intimate, boutique, colonial or heritage accommodation.
Category 21. UNIQUE ACCOMMODATION
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PDF 34Kb)
The focus of this award is on the way in which the nature of the accommodation and services enhance the tourism experience.
Category 22. STANDARD ACCOMMODATION
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PDF 34Kb)
This category is open – but not limited to – motels, hotels, self-catering, cabins and pub accommodation. The focus of this award is on both the facilities and services that enhance the tourism experience.
Category 23. DELUXE ACCOMMODATION
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PDF 101Kb)
This category is open – but not limited to – apartments, hotels, motels and self-catering accommodation. The focus of this award is on both the facilities and services that enhance the tourism experience.
Category 24. LUXURY ACCOMMODATION
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PDF 34Kb)
This category is open to – but not limited to – luxury hotels or resorts, with a focus on both the facilities and services that enhance the tourism experience.
Category 25. NEW TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
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PDF 32Kb)
This category recognises excellence in the planning of tourism infrastructure and/or services with a focus on entrepreneurial vision, harmonious integration with the environment, design and functionality and uniqueness of the service.
Category 26. QANTAS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
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PDF 33Kb)
This category is open to tourism operators that exemplify a strong commitment to sustainable and innovative business practices. The award will recognise and showcase successful tourism businesses that set out to minimise their environmental impact, conserve natural resources, respect local cultures and benefit local communities.
Category 27. OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION BY AN INDIVIDUAL
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PDF 25Kb)
This award recognises the extraordinary personal and professional achievement and contribution by an individual over many years to the Australian, and particularly their State’s tourism industry. Judges consider in particular the activities and contribution of the nominee outside the expectations of normal employment.
Category 28. EDUCATION TOURISM PROGRAM
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PDF 27Kb)
This category is open to tourism attractions or tourism businesses that deliver an education program/s to schools or groups to enhance the visitor experience and successfully interpret the vision of the attraction or business. An individual program or suite of programs can be entered. The program/s should be fully or partly facilitated by the organisation.
Category 29. YOUNG ACHIEVER AWARD
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PDF 27)
This award recognises an individual, of 26 years of age or under, working in the tourism industry and their contribution to the development of a vibrant and professional tourism industry. This category is also open to students in all schools of study, who are enrolled at an ACT or regional tertiary or technical institution.
30. VISITOR EXPERIENCE AWARD
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PDF 24Kb)
This award recognises quality visitor experiences and is awarded to the three top scoring tourism operators/businesses based on two visitor experience appraisals conducted as part of the tourism award program. The criteria for the visitor experience appraisal includes the facilities, service, staff, website, tourism knowledge and sharing, complaint handling and other relevant items for each entrant type.