South Australian Tourism Awards 2013

There were many happy faces at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Friday night, where 29 awards were presented to businesses and individuals at the South Australian Tourism Awards.

This year marked the 30th anniversary of the awards which celebrate outstanding performers in the state's tourism industry. More than 670 people attended the black tie event.

A host of regional areas including Port Lincoln, the Barossa and Flinders Rangers were included in the major award winners.

See below for the full list of winners

A new category, South Australian Tourism Student of the Year, was introduced with the winner, Genevieve Pontikinas from the University of South Australia, travelling to Christchurch as part of the SKAL International Adelaide Student Exchange Program.

SeaLink Travel Group’s managing director Jeff Ellison was also honoured for his involvement in tourism, receiving the award for an Outstanding Contribution by an Individual. 

Udder Delights, based in Hahndorf and owned by Sheree Sullivan, won the Excellence in South Australian Food Tourism award.

The South Australian Tourism Industry Council honoured Jeff for putting Kangaroo Island and South Australia on the global tourism map. 

A further 81 entrants who achieved a high standard in their category were recognised with a gold, silver or bronze medal.

South Australian Tourism Industry Council chief executive Ward Tilbrook congratulated all winners and the four inductees to the Hall of Fame.

“With so many outstanding South Australian tourism experiences on offer, it’s tremendous to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in the industry,” he said.

“The South Australian Tourism Industry Council is dedicated to continually raising the professional standards of the industry and fostering better business practices.

“Such an exciting awards competition demonstrates our industry’s commitment to excellence."

The Barossa was particularly successful, scooping numerous awards including best Visitor Information Centre.

The awards are judged in accordance with a set of rules and criteria, and winners will represent the state at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in Sydney in February 2014.

And the winners are . . .

• Major Tourist Attraction
  Winner – Adventure Bay Charters 
• Tourist Attractions
  Winner – Hahndorf Farm Barn
• Major Festivals & Events
  Winner – 2013 Clipsal 500 Adelaide
• Festivals & Events
  Winner – Cellar Door Wine Festival Adelaide
• Ecotourism
  Winner – Rawnsley Park Station Eco-Villas 
• Heritage & Cultural Tourism
  Winner – West Terrace Cemetery 
• Indigenous Tourism
  Winner – Aboriginal Cultural Tours – South Australia 
• Specialised Tourism Services
  Winner – Barossa Tourism Services 
• Visitor and Information Services
  Winner – Barossa Visitor Centre 
• Business Tourism
  Hall of Fame and Winner – Level 1 @ Hilton Adelaide 
• Major Tour &/or Transport Operator
  Winner – Great Southern Rail 
• Tour &/or Transport Operator
  Hall of Fame and Winner – Tour Barossa 
• Adventure Tourism
  Winner – Surf & Sun South Australia 
• Destination Marketing
  Winner – Find Your Everything – Unley Precincts 
• Tourism Education & Training
  Winner – Australian Tourism College and Recruitment Centre 
• Tourism Restaurants & Catering Services
  Winner – Windy Point Restaurant & Café 
• Tourism Wineries, Distilleries & Breweries
  Winner – Pindarie Cellar Door 
• Tourist & Caravan Parks
  Winner – BIG4 Adelaide Shores Caravan Park 
• Hosted Accommodation
  Winner – The Australasian Circa 1858 
• Unique Accommodation
  Winner – Rawnsley Park Station Eco-Villas 
• Standard Accommodation
  Hall of Fame and Winner – Narnu Farm 
• Deluxe Accommodation
  Hall of Fame and Winner – Emaroo Port Hughes
• Luxury Accommodation
  Winner – The Sebel Playford Adelaide
• New Tourism Development
  Winner – Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions – Great White Adventure 
• Qantas Award for Excellence in Sustainable Tourism
  Winner – Adelaide Shores 
• Local Government Award for Tourism
  Winner – Alexandrina Council 
• Excellence in South Australian Food Tourism
  Winner – Udder Delights Cheese Cellar
• Outstanding Contribution by an Individual
  Winner – Jeff Ellison (SeaLink Travel Group) 
• South Australian Tourism Student of the Year
  Winner – Genevieve Pontikinas (University of South Australia)

Source: The West Coast Sentinel, 9 November 2013