The South Coast Regional Tourism Organisation (South Coast RTO) is proud to announce entries are now open for the 20th Annual South Coast Tourism Awards.

The Awards are the principal tourism industry event on the New South Wales South Coast, recognising and celebrating the best tourism operators and their outstanding achievements over the past 12 months.

The South Coast RTO has been planning and delivering the Awards since their launch in 1996. In celebration of this year's 20-year milestone, winners will be announced at the Gala Presentation evening at the HARS Aviation Museum in Albion Park on Wednesday 26th October.

South Coast RTO Chair, Ms. Catherine Shields says the Awards are an annual highlight, representing a unique opportunity for tourism businesses to gain industry recognition for their unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional products, services and experiences that contribute to the growth of the regions visitor economy.

“The Annual South Coast Tourism Awards are vitally important in acknowledging and encouraging the innovators and outstanding operators in our visitor economy who often fly under the radar of the general business community. We are looking to break last year's record number of entries by encouraging all tourism businesses to consider entering this historic year of the Awards,” Ms. Shields said.

Tourism businesses across the South Coast, from Wollongong to the Sapphire Coast, are invited to enter into one or more of the 30 Award categories available, from attractions and accommodation to events, dining, eco-tourism and more.

There are two additional categories – Inclusive Tourism and Sustainable Tourism – that cannot be entered into directly, with finalists selected by judges based on the submissions provided.

The Award categories are divided into Industry Awards and Outstanding Industry Achievement Awards. The categories are:

Industry Awards

·  Tourism Attractions

·  Eco Tourism

·  General Tourism Services or Product

·  Visitor Information Services

·  Regional Wineries, Breweries or Pubs

·  Hosted Accommodation

·  Unique Accommodation

·  Meetings, Functions and Business Tourism

· Events or Festivals

· Heritage & Cultural Tourism

· Marketing & Promotion

· Tourism Cafes

· Tourism & Caravan Parks

· Self-Contained Accommodation

· Holiday Rental Services

· Tourism Retail

· Tour and/or Transport Operators

· Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Tourism

· Adventure Tourism

· New Tourism Development

· Tourism Restaurants & Catering Services

· Backpacker Accommodation

· Executive Accommodation

· Registered Clubs

· Wedding Planners/Venues

· Tourism Training

Outstanding Industry Achievement Awards

·  Family Friendly Award

·  Inclusive Tourism*

· Tourism Small Business Operator

· Young Achiever in Tourism

· Sustainable Tourism*

· Outstanding Contribution by an Individual

Entries for the 2016 South Coast Tourism Awards close on Monday 29th August 2016, after which judging will commence. For more information on the South Coast Tourism Awards visit http://www.southcoasttourism.org/news-sc-tourism-awards.

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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.