Regional Tourism Awards coming to Newcastle

Regional Tourism Awards coming to Newcastle

The inaugural Destination Sydney Surrounds North Regional Tourism Awards will be held in  Newcastle on Monday 29 July.

The regional awards acknowledge excellence by individuals and organisations in the tourism sector.

The Regional awards are being presented for the first time this year across all six NSW Destination Networks, with winners advancing to the NSW Tourism Awards and potentially the Australian Tourism Awards.

The Regional Tourism Awards program is supported by Destination NSW, the NSW Government and the NSW Business Chamber Tourism Industry Division.

Hunter Business Chamber and City of Newcastle are partnering to bring the Destination Sydney Surrounds North event to Newcastle.

Regional Tourism Awards Chair, Jane Barnes, said the awards attracted an impressive array of entries from a diverse range of businesses including destinations, events, restaurants, wineries and accommodation providers.

“The awards provide tourism organisations and individuals with the opportunity to gain insight into their business and industry, achieve recognition for their success and promote tourism within their region,” Jane Barnes said.

Hunter Business Chamber CEO, Bob Hawes, said the event would turn the tourism spotlight on Newcastle and the Hunter region.

“It is a good opportunity to bring local tourism operators and their staff together to connect and celebrate the achievements of their peers,” Bob said.

“Tourism is an important and growing sector in the Hunter and the Chamber is proud to be involved in facilitating interaction and collaboration between regional operators.”

Newcastle Lord Mayor, Nuatali Nelmes, said the arrival of the awards was timely as landmark infrastructure projects and a development boom drew record numbers of tourists.

“We’re delighted to partner with the local business chamber to bring these awards to Newcastle as projects like our Bathers Way coastal pathway draw increasing numbers of visitors,” Nuatali Nelmes said.”

“The City’s first five-star hotel will soon emerge from our current administration centre when we vacate it, and this will underpin further growth in the cultural, tourism and hospitality sectors in the Civic and City East precincts in the years ahead.”

Destination Sydney Surrounds North takes in the Lower and Upper Hunter, Central Coast, Hawkesbury, Blue Mountains and Penrith.

Among the Hunter finalists in this year’s awards are Beyond Ballooning, Blacksmiths Beachside Holiday Park, Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, Oakvale Wildlife Park and the Christmas Lights Spectacular at Hunter Valley Gardens.

The Destination Sydney Surrounds North Regional Tourism Awards will be held at NOAH’s on the Beach on Monday 29 July from midday.

IMAGE | Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes with Newcastle CBD cityscape in the background.

Business Hunter

Business Hunter is the new name for the organisation formerly known as the Hunter Business Chamber. We are the largest regional peak business group in Australia, representing members across all business and industry sectors. Business Hunter is a not-for-profit member organisation dedicated to connecting people in business with what they need to succeed.

We have been the voice of business in the Hunter since 1886. Our members are part of a network of more than 2,500 businesses across the region. That network includes members of 20 aligned local chambers across 10 local government areas, stretching from the Mid North Coast to Lake Macquarie and inland to Scone. From main-street retailers to ASX 100 corporates, our member businesses power Australia's strongest regional economy. 

The name Business Hunter was adopted in February 2020 to better reflect the vibrant and diverse businesses the organisation represents. The new name also aligns with our affiliates Business NSW and Business Australia.

Business Hunter has been through a number of name changes; what has never changed is our commitment to helping our members do business better, to drive growth and prosperity in the Hunter region.

Trending Articles

Advertise with us

Affordable and engaging advertising to a business community

Submit an article

Tell your story to the Hunter business community

Does your business need a little help with its marketing?

Marketing strategies

This website uses cookies
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services.