On November 21, the state’s leaders in tourism excellence came together for a spectacular gala event at Palladium at Crown in celebration of the businesses and individuals who are delivering ongoing elevated experiences in Victoria’s tourism sector.
Now in its 38th year, the Victorian Tourism Awards play a vital role in connecting businesses and encouraging collaboration, professionalism and innovation. As the culmination of a year-round process, they provide an opportunity to pay tribute to all the tourism operators, experienced industry identities, volunteers and support workers who achieve continued high-standards in the visitor economy.
Close to 1,000 industry identities from across the state were in attendance for the event, which was hosted by presenter and vocalist Brihony Dawson. The proceedings kicked off with a Welcome to Country, and featured speeches by VTIC chief executive, Felicia Mariani and minister for tourism, sport and major events, Steve Dimopoulos MP.
Winners were crowned in 27 major categories, including cultural tourism, unique accommodation, festivals and events, visitor information services and adventure tourism. The 33-person judging panel – comprising a cross-section of tourism industry professionals and former award winners – also awarded three individual excellence categories.
This year's event saw the introduction of the Hallmark Events Icon Award – a new category that celebrates Victoria's vibrant and enviable event calendar. It allows these particular entrants to compete in a distinct category that best recognises their level of global influence. While there will be a full field of competition in 2025, this year a special recognition was bestowed upon the Australian Open and the Formula One Australian Grand Prix. Both blockbuster sporting moments provide a significant contribution to the performance of the state’s visitor economy and reinforced our position as an internationally recognised events destination.
Other major winners included Melbourne Zoo, which was awarded gold for the second consecutive year in the Major Tourist Attraction category, and Lightscape, which won in the Major Festivals and Events category. Sovereign Hill received the Excellence in Accessible Tourism crown, the second year this important category has been recognised on the national stage.
These awards are delivered by the Victoria Tourism Industry Council, and supported by a number of partners, including Presenting Partner, City of Melbourne; Platinum Partner, Visit Victoria; and Gold Partner, Melbourne Airport and RACV Travel and Experiences. For more information on the event, head to the VTIC website. For the full list of finalists and winners, see here.
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