The awards night was held on February 23 with Sea Acres nominated in the visitor information services category.

A stone’s throw from Shelly Beach, Sea Acres Rainforest Centre is the gateway to a special rainforest experience.

Staff and volunteers provide information, talks and interactions, and there is a café open for breakfast and lunch making it the perfect hub for tourists.

Swan Valley Visitor Centre and Alice Springs Visitor Information Centre won gold and silver respectively.

Over 700 tourism industry representatives celebrated the best-of-the-best on the night, held at the new Optus Stadium in Perth.

The awards showcase the best in outstanding customer service, innovation and ongoing business excellence.

Australian Tourism Awards Chair, Daniel Gschwind, said that the calibre of finalists in this year’s awards was exceptional and the operators should be applauded for their dedication to providing quality tourism experiences.

“Tonight, we celebrate leading businesses whose hard work, innovation and commitment to quality continue help to drive our industry as a leading contributor to jobs and economic growth across Australia,” he said.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo said the awards were a great showcase of the skill within the industry.

“I’d like to extend my congratulations to all of this year’s finalists and winners,” he said.

“These prestigious awards provide a wonderful opportunity to shine the spotlight on Australia’s tourism industry and those operators and businesses who make such an important contribution to the record level of growth that our industry is currently enjoying.”

Among the 26 winners was Paul Hogan, awarded the status of Australian Tourism Legend in recognition for his role in attracting international visitors to Australia, most notably in the North American market.