Australia's Top Tourism Awards have been announced this morning in Canberra and Bendigo has won silver in the Top Tourism Town category.
The national awards recognise and celebrate towns that provide outstanding visitor experiences (towns with a population over 5,000 are eligible).
Over 140 towns across Australia were nominated in three award categories. Submissions were assessed based on written and video itinerary of the region, online user reviews of key attractions and a public vote.
Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said the silver award recognised Bendigo as a must-see tourist destination.
"We are thrilled to win silver in the Australian Top Tourism Town category which recognises Bendigo's strong commitment in delivering the very best experiences and high-quality customer service for visitors," Cr Metcalf said.
"Our visitor experience is highly regarded, and visitors have voted us the second-best tourism town in the nation which is a fantastic achievement.
"We are proud that Bendigo has developed a strong arts and culture brand over many years with incredible events and attractions to draw people here with homegrown major events like the Bendigo Easter Festival and exclusive exhibitions such as Elvis: Direct from Graceland at Bendigo Art Gallery.
"We know the visitor economy is crucial for our region's success and we are lucky enough to have amazing and passionate businesses in hospitality, accommodation, retail and attractions who create memorable experiences for visitors.
"It is wonderful to see these efforts rewarded by gaining a silver award at Australia's Top Tourism Awards, competing against high calibre contenders.
"We are delighted that people have found Bendigo to be a memorable and wonderful place to visit and I congratulate our local business community who have overcome the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic to warmly welcome visitors and provide great experiences."
In July, Bendigo took gold in Victoria's Top Tourism Town category and Heathcote won bronze in the Top Small Tourism Town Award.
