Mudgee NSW wins national Top Tourism Town award for second year in a row

Mudgee, in the Central West of NSW, has won the major national award of Top Tourism Town for the second year in a row at Australia’s Top Tourism Awards 2022, with the ceremony held today at Parliament House in Canberra.  

The awards, part of the Australian Tourism Awards series, showcase the value of tourism to the towns and communities across Australia and celebrate the diversity and outstanding regional destinations from across the country.

The Top Tourism Town awards recognise Australian towns with a population over 5000 people that offer impressive visitor experiences and are committed to working collectively to increase visitation to its region.

Exmouth, on the North West Cape of Western Australia, won Gold in the Small Tourism Town category while Strahan in Tasmania was the gold winner for the Tiny Tourism Town category.

Jamie Van Jones, from Salt and Bush Eco Tours in Mandurah, was named Australia’s Top Tour Guide at the event. It was the first time this category has been awarded nationally, after being run in WA as the FACET Golden Guide Award for more than 20 years.

The awards are presented by the Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC), the national representative body for tourism which provides leadership and representation through a national voice for tourism, and sponsored by Tourism Australia. Winners are determined by a state and national level voting process combining people’s choice votes and an industry judging panel.

ATIC Chair, Evan Hall notes “Mudgee has done it again, and we congratulate the town on winning Gold as Top Tourism Town in Australia for 2022.

“Mudgee, in the Central West of NSW, is renowned for its strong food and wine scene, and continues to lead regional tourism recovery across Australia. With passionate local operators who connect with visitors at a local, national and international level, Mudgee offers places of historic and cultural significance, and an authentic country town experience.”

“Exmouth, on the North West Cape of Western Australia, won Gold in the Small Tourism Town category. Known as the gateway to the nearby Ningaloo Marine Park, Exmouth is popular for diving and snorkelling. And the town really comes together to promote its natural beauty on land and in the water as one of the world’s top destinations for marine wildlife."

Hall advised “In the Tiny Tourism Town category, Strahan in Tasmania is our Gold winner. Strahan is a remote town on the edge of World Heritage listed wilderness on Tasmania’s west coast. Pristine waterways and cool-temperate rainforest flank this delightful former port.

“The awards form part of the new Quality Tourism Framework which combines multiple tourism accreditation, business development and awards programs into a single, user-friendly online tool to develop tourism businesses of all sizes all over Australia to grow their market.”

Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison said the Top Tourism Town Awards recognise the hard work and commitment of tourism communities from across the country.

“Our tourism towns are the front line in delivering the high-quality visitor experiences that help to make Australia one of the most desirable destinations in the world.”

Hall added “The awards are an important acknowledgement of the incredible efforts of tourism towns, which we know have been through a particularly tough time over the past two years.

“Collaboration within, and across, these towns and communities is key to increasing visitation, dispersal and therefore recovery.

“It’s great to see such a spread of states represented amongst the winners.”

For more information on the Top Tourism Awards by ATIC visit www.toptourismtowns.com.au

Images from top: Mudgee; Exmouth snorkelling Credit: Tourism WA; Salt and Bush Eco Tours; Strahan in Tasmania Credit: Discover Tasmania