Congratulations to everyone who was involved in the Awards in 2017, and good luck to those businesses heading to the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards!

Download the list of the 2017 Canberra Region Tourism Award Winners as a PDF

Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre took home the highest accolade –
gold – as the winner of the Tourist Attractions category. This has come after a string of
successes at the local level, and cements their place as one of the country’s leaders in
providing unparalleled tourism excellence.

As multi-award winners, Canberra Airport’s outstanding achievements were again recognised
in their silver award for Specialised Tourism Services.

After receiving bronze last year, the National Folk Festival 2016 made it a step higher to claim
silver in the Festivals and Events category.

Congratulations to these winners who are recognised for achieving excellence and innovation at the
highest level – and to all the national finalists who represented Canberra and the region. These were
the National Museum of Australia – Encounters exhibition, Royal Australian Mint, National
Convention Centre Canberra, 3inFun Tourism Marketing Partnership Program – Experience Canberra,
Jamala Wildlife Lodge, East Hotel, Hyatt Hotel Canberra – A Park Hyatt Hotel, and Little National
Hotel.

“Simply being in the room with the best of the best is an outstanding achievement,” said Brian Weir,
Chair of the Canberra Region Tourism Awards Steering Committee.

The annual Canberra Region Tourism Awards showcase the best of our region’s tourism operators
and promote, encourage and reward tourism excellence. The Awards are produced in partnership by
the National Capital Attractions Association and VisitCanberra. They are made possible by the
support of local and national sponsors.

The full list of national award winners will be available on the Australian Tourism Awards website.
For more information on the National Capital Attractions Association, visit
http://www.nationalattractions.com.au/

Congratulations to everyone who was involved in the Awards in 2016, and good luck to those businesses heading to the NT!

Amongst the glittering line-up of winners were Questacon – the National Science and Technology Centre, which won the award for the Tourist Attractions category, and the National Museum of Australia who took home the Major Festivals and Events award for their Encounters exhibition.

“Each year the Canberra region’s attractions and businesses continue to build on offering unparalleled tourism experiences and services, which is evident in the recognition of well- deserved winners in 2016,” said Craig Whelan, President of the National Capital Attractions Association.

“This is a pivotal point for Canberra’s major attractions and key businesses of the region as the city further engages broader international audiences and in doing so, heightens our reputation for tourism excellence on the international stage,” continued Mr Whelan.

One of the event’s stars was the Specialised Tourism Services winner, Canberra Airport, which is now a serious contender for the Hall of Fame at the National Awards to be held in Darwin in February. This potential win will add another feather to Canberra region’s Hall of Fame cap which currently boasts leaders in tourism excellence, the Australian War Memorial and Old Bus Depot Markets.

Jamala Wildlife Lodge won the Unique Accommodation category, and for the first time will compete at the national award level. The Royal Australian Mint collected an impressive three awards – for Cultural Tourism, Tourism Visitor Education and Visitor Experience.

Successes of 2016 also included several initiatives such as the addition of a pilot category – International Ready. The winner, Australian Sports Commission – Experience AIS, is the first to be recognised for delivering first-class international-ready tourism product in the Canberra region.

Brian Weir, Chair of the Canberra Region Tourism Awards Steering Committee commented the International Ready category has come at a critical and exciting time with international flights from Singapore and New Zealand bringing new tourism business to the city.

“We are delighted that the Canberra region is ready for such exciting, new categories which in this case acknowledge our world-class offering for international tourists,” Mr Weir said.

“Initiatives such as this and our partnership with the University of Canberra facilitating student involvement with entrants, provide opportunities to support our young, bright leaders of the future and to facilitate sector sustainability,” Mr Weir concluded.

The full list of award winners and commendations can be found on our website.