Bendigo has been named by Booking.com as one of Australia's top 10 most welcoming towns.
The booking website announced its annual Traveller Review awards, which placed Bendigo at number 8 in Australia.
The top 10 most welcoming towns included Denmark and Margaret River in Western Australia, Hervey Bay and Rockhampton in Queensland. Mildura was the only other Victorian town to make the list.
Destinations had to have at least 50 eligible accommodation providers to be included in this list and were sorted by the highest share of winners per destination.
To receive awards, businesses needed to gain an average review score of between 8 and 10, through their Booking.com listing.
City of Greater Bendigo Tourism and Major Events Manager Terry Karamaloudis said the award demonstrated the strength of the local accommodation sector.
"This award is entirely due to the number of outstanding tourism operators we have in Bendigo," Mr Karamaloudis said.
"Congratulations to all of our hard-working accommodation providers who have undoubtedly had one of the hardest ever years.
"Being ranked in Australia's top 10 most welcoming towns confirms what we already knew, which is Bendigo has an outstanding tourism sector made up of really high quality and committed business owners, whether that is in retail, hospitality, experiences or accommodation.
"We are so glad that so many travellers can enjoy the best of what Greater Bendigo has to offer, thanks to the great service and support they receive when they come here.
"We are looking forward to 2021 being a better year for our tourism sector and hope that lots more visitors can enjoy the Bendigo experience."
