Mandurah has been named the winner of the 2023 7NEWS Top Tourism Town Award for the second year in a row at the 2023 Perth Airport WA Regional Tourism Conference Dinner in Kalgoorlie-Boulder tonight.
Mandurah claimed the Gold Medal in the Top Tourism Town category, with Geraldton claiming Silver and Collie taking out Bronze. Mandurah will receive a $25,000 airtime package to promote the town on television network 7 Regional WA.
In the Small Tourism Town category, the Gold Medal was awarded to Exmouth, also for a second year running, which takes home a $10,000 airtime package from 7 Regional WA. The Silver Medal was won by York, and Tom Price was awarded Bronze.
In the category of Tiny Tourism Town, the Gold Medal was awarded to Dwellingup, with Pemberton winning Silver and New Norcia claiming Bronze. Dwellingup will receive a $5,000 airtime package to promote the town on 7 Regional WA.
The awards program is a major highlight of the State's tourism calendar, with prizes eagerly coveted by destinations across Western Australia. Visitor Centres enter the awards on behalf of their destination, and entrants are required to submit a short video, itinerary and editorial article which was reviewed by a panel of industry judges.
The public then had its say, with more than 8,000 people casting a vote for their favourite Tiny, Small and Top Tourism Towns.
"Congratulations to this year's winners of the Top Tourism Town Awards. Mandurah, Exmouth, and Dwellingup have all displayed an exceptional commitment to delivering high-quality visitor experiences," Tourism Council WA CEO Evan Hall said.
"All medallists have impressed both an industry panel of judges and the public through consumer voting. They will now go on to represent Western Australia on a national level in the Australian Top Tourism Town Awards," he said.
In 2022, Exmouth was awarded Gold in the Australian Small Tourism Town Award, and Mandurah won Bronze in the Australian Top Tourism Town Award.
The 7NEWS Top Tourism Town Awards have been running for more than 30 years and recognise cities and towns across Western Australia for their commitment to tourism and the innovative experiences and facilities on offer.
The awards are run by Tourism Council WA and Visitor Centres WA, and are supported by 7NEWS, Vanguard Media Group, Tourism WA and RAC Parks & Resorts.
