MidCoast Council's Barrington Coast destination brand won gold in the Local Government Award for Tourism category and silver in the Tourism Marketing and Campaigns category at the NSW Tourism Awards.
"We're delighted to see the planning that has gone into the development of Destination Barrington Coast and the results to date recognised, and I congratulate our destination management team on their persistence, passion and teamwork," said MidCoast Council Mayor, Claire Pontin.
"The NSW Tourism Awards are a celebration of the outstanding resilience, innovation and creativity demonstrated by our tourism team over what has been a challenging few years for the industry."
The Local Government Award for Tourism category, won by MidCoast Council, recognised excellence in tourism planning, tourism facilities and services, marketing, event development and the overall contribution made both locally and to the NSW tourism industry.
The Tourism Marketing and Campaigns category, in which MidCoast Council took out the silver award, recognises creativity and innovation in the promotion of tourism products, services or destinations.
"We'd also like to congratulate our other MidCoast finalists who were able to navigate lockdowns and restricted travel to continue to attract domestic visitors and build new visitor experiences."
Local finalists included Aussie Ark, Barrington Tops - awarded a bronze in the Tourist Attractions category, Reflections Holiday Parks Seal Rocks - a bronze in Caravan and Holiday Parks, Seafarers Diamond Beach - a silver in Excellence in Accessible Tourism and Blueys Motel, Blueys Beach - a silver in 4-4.5 Star Deluxe Accommodation. Relevant category winners will go on to represent NSW at the Australian Tourism Awards on Friday 18 March 2022.
The NSW Tourism Awards, which are presented by Business NSW in partnership with the NSW Government and Destination NSW, took place as a virtual event on Thursday 3 February. The Awards celebrate business excellence, acknowledge business innovation and reward exceptional customer service, along with showcasing the State's most outstanding tourism operators.
In accepting Barrington Coast's awards, Council's Manager of Growth, Economic Development and Tourism, Deb Tuckerman, acknowledged the Worimi and Biripi people of the MidCoast and recognised their connection to Country, without which they could not tell the story of the Barrington Coast. She also recognised the contributions of consultants Destination Marketing Store and locally-based Heath and Hoff upon accepting the awards.
"These fantastic results provide a strong base from which to move forward and support the sustainable growth of the local tourism industry within this framework for years to come," said Mayor Pontin.
