Outstanding tourism operators from across New South Wales were honoured overnight as the winners of the 2018 NSW Tourism Awards were announced at the Big Top at Luna Park, Sydney.
Illawarra and Shoalhaven tourism operators picked up a slew of awards, with three members of the Illawarra Business Chamber and affiliated local chambers of commerce network winning the following:
Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries
Gold (Hall of Fame[1]): Cupitt's Winery and Brewery
Excellence in Food Tourism
Gold: Cupitt's Winery, Brewery, Fromagerie and Kitchen
Tourism Restaurants and Catering Services
Bronze: Cupitt's Kitchen
Destination Marketing
Gold: Shoalhaven Tourism – 100 Beach Challenge Campaign
Luxury Accommodation
Bronze: Mt Hay Retreat
"We are incredibly proud of our regional tourism winners - and to have it confirmed at the State Tourism Awards that the Illawarra and Shoalhaven is a premier tourism destination in the State," said Adam Zarth, Executive Director of the Illawarra Business Chamber.
"Our winners are crucial to the success of the Illawarra and Shoalhaven tourism economy, one of our region's most important and growing sectors,"
"Cupitt's, Shoalhaven Tourism and Mt Hay Retreat richly deserve the accolades they received last night and exemplify the high standard and diverse range of tourism experiences on offer in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven." said Mr Zarth.
Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall congratulated the winners.
"Tourism is big business and it's a vital industry to our State's economy so to be recognised at the NSW Tourism Awards is an outstanding achievement and I thank all of the winners for their tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to offering the very best tourism and events experiences," Mr Marshall said.
"The NSW Visitor Economy is the envy of every other State, with the greatest share of domestic and international visitors, visitor nights and expenditure, and an impressive calendar of major events across Sydney and rural and regional NSW," said Mr Marshall.
