Redland City Council’s support for the local tourism industry was recognised on Friday night, with Council winning the inaugural Local Government Award for Tourism at the Queensland Tourism Awards.
While the awards have been running for more than 25 years, this is the first year a local government category has been included.
Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said the city was on the eve of even greater prospects for tourism.
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“We have stunning natural attractions and a range of excellent tourism products here in the Redlands,” Cr Williams said.
“A thriving tourism sector will have dynamic flow-on effects for our local economy and our community.
“This award is a great opportunity for us to say even louder and prouder ‘come to the Redlands for you holidays and day trips’. We are open for business.”
The new category was open to all local government authorities in Queensland and recognises excellence in tourism planning, the provision of tourism facilities and services, marketing, event development and management, and the overall contribution made both locally and to Queensland’s tourism industry.
Council’s tourism focus has been to deliver the vision in its tourism strategy for the Redlands to be ‘the most accessible, diverse and protected nature playground within Brisbane’s Moreton Bay and islands’.
In pursuing this, Council has worked to key performance indicators based on sound research and contemporary industry development and marketing principles, actively encouraging industry growth, and partnerships and networks across the entire region.
The Queensland Tourism Awards ceremony was held at the Brisbane Convention Centre, with the local government award being accepted by Mayor Williams and Council’s Senior Adviser Tourism Development, Paula Rathgeber.
The Redlands was well represented, with other local award submissions from IndigiScapes, Big Red Cat, Stradbroke Island Events, Fishes on the Point (Point Lookout).
Cr Williams congratulated tourism operators in the Redlands for their partnership approach to building the local tourism sector.
The awards are run by the Queensland Tourism Industry Council and recognise outstanding achievement across the state. They are judged by submission.
Images are available from www.queenslandtourismawards.com.au
(from left to right: Lucy Dyball, Monique Whitewood, Paula Rathgeber and Mayor Karen Williams)
