Taronga Zoo named Australia's best major tourist attraction

Sydney's Taronga Zoo has been named Australia's best major tourist attraction at the 2010 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards.

The Awards, held at Perth's Burswood Burswood Entertainment Complex on Friday, also saw the admission of the Sydney Central YHA and Darwin's Skycity into the touirsm Hall of Fame.

The two properties were awarded Hall of Fame status on the basis that each had won its category for the third consecutive year. The youth hostel was named Australia's best backpacker accommodation and Skycity took the luxury accommodation category.

The Sydney Harbour YHA was also a winner after being named best new tourism development.

Other winners at the ceremony at the included Santos Tour Down Under, which won in the major festival and events category, and the Lane Cove River Tourist Park for ecotourism. The attraction, which is 10 kilometres from Sydney's central business district, also won the Qantas award for excellence in sustainable tourism.

The awards, which are in their 26th year, are organised by the National Tourism Alliance, a lobby and advocacy group that represents 95% of Australian tourism businesses. There were more than 1,000 entries this year and the finalists were judged by industry representatives.

The full list of winners can be seen at www.tourismalliance.org/tourismalliance/TourismFinalists10.html