22 July 2016: A collaborative marketing campaign to drive visitation to the South Coast has won a Gold Award at this year's Pacific Asia Travel Association Awards.

Destination NSW and South Coast Regional Tourism Organisation received the prestigious Award for 'Unspoilt' – a domestic marketing program to promote the region's natural beauty.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres welcomed the Award and said it was another fantastic achievement for regional tourism in NSW.

“The unspoilt South Coast is one of Australia's most appealing tourism destinations and deserves as much credit as the hardworking teams successfully growing the number of tourists visiting this market,” Mr Ayres said.

“The campaign has been a major driver of tourism growth to the region, delivering more than 1.39 million industry leads to South Coast tourism operators since its inception in 2012.”

Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer Sandra Chipchase said the campaign's success was a great example of what can be achieved through collaboration.

“The South Coast is one of Australia's most beautiful and diverse regions, encompassing some of NSW's best food and wine regions, pristine coastal scenery and beaches, extraordinary marine life and national parks. The campaign focussed on the region's key strengths and it is fantastic news that the campaign has received international recognition,” Ms Chipchase said.

The South Coast Regional Tourism Organisation's Chair, Catherine Shields said she was extremely proud of the achievement.

“This is the culmination of four years of working closely with Destination NSW and the local tourism industry, and we look forward to continuing to attract more visitors to the South Coast from Australia and abroad,” Ms Shields said.

The South Coast campaign won the Gold Award in the Marketing – Secondary Government Destination category, recognising State or city tourism organisations. The Gold Awards recognise exceptional achievements in the Asia Pacific travel industry, with the official presentation ceremony to be held in Jakarta in September.

For more on things to see and experience on the South Coast go to Visitnsw.com.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

About the South Coast RTO (SCRTO)

South Coast Regional Tourism Organisation Inc. covers that part of the South Coast of New South Wales made up of the five Local Government Areas of Shellharbour City, Kiama Municipality, Shoalhaven City, Eurobodalla Shire and Bega Valley Shire. SCRTO recognises that its role is to foster the success of tourism businesses throughout the region.