Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney today congratulated The Flagstaff Hill Precinct and the Fun4Kids Festival from Warrnambool for being honoured at the Melbourne Airport 2007 Victorian Tourism Awards last Monday night.
The Flagstaff Hill Precinct received the award of the Herald Sun Award for Tourist Attractions.
The Fun4Kids Festival received the V/Line Award for Festivals & Events.
The Flagstaff Hill Precinct, is the most significant tourist attraction and visitor information centre on the Great Ocean Road.
The Precinct includes a maritime museum and shipwreck interpretation gallery, a recreated 1870’s maritime village, ‘Shipwrecked’ a world class night time attraction, gift shop, Visitor Information Centre and award winning restaurant ‘Pippies by the Bay’.
Flagstaff Hill Precinct is the tourism heart of Warrnambool.
Warrnambool’s Fun4Kids Festival attracted over 33,500 visitors in 2007, and has become Australia’s best Children’s Festival. Celebrating the imagination and creative spirit of children, Fun4Kids highlights quality children’s entertainment, interactive exhibits and workshops.
The Festival is set within a magical 2.5 acre indoor village where children can have a blast while they play, imagine, participate and create.
“The tourism industry is worth $3.4 billion to the regional Victorian economy and provides jobs for 61,000 people,” Ms Tierney said.
“The Flagstaff Hill Precinct and Fun4Kids Festival are great contributors to the local economy and community here in Warrnambool and can be rightly proud of being recognised in this way.”
Minister for Tourism and Major Events Tim Holding said “The Awards are an opportunity to recognise those tourism operators and individuals whose commitment to excellence, innovation and professionalism set an ambitious benchmark for the entire industry”.
Winners were announced across 26 business categories, ranging from accommodation to tourism marketing, ecotourism, tourism training and new developments. Three additional awards honoured personal contributions to the tourism industry.
Mr Holding said more than 130 businesses and individuals competed for top honours in this year’s awards, a 25 per cent increase on last year.
More than 60 tourism businesses were honoured in total, either winning their category or receiving a merit or finalist placing. Around half of recipients are from regional Victoria.
Winners of the Melbourne Airport 2007 Victorian Tourism Awards will represent Victoria at the 2007 Australian Tourism Awards to be held in Canberra in February 2008.