Bluesfest has taken out gold in the 2011 NSW Tourism Awards major events category.
The awards were held in Sydney on Thursday night.
Lismore and Nimbin visitor information centres won the silver award for Visitor Information and Services, while Cape Byron State Conservation Area won the bronze award for major tourist attractions.
Member for Ballina, Don Page, congratulated Bluesfest, saying, ‘This is a tremendous acknowledgment of the hard work and dedication that festival director Peter Noble and his team devote to making Bluesfest a world-class event.
‘It is operators such as Bluesfest that help promote this area and contribute enormously to the local economy. We should all be proud of the achievement of winning such an award,’ Mr Page said.
Lismore Tourism Coordinator, Mitch Lowe, said the silver award was a fantastic result for the visitor information centres, which were up against more than 170 centres from across New South Wales.
‘The award is a testament to the energy and dedication of our tourism teams. In making the announcement, the judges acknowledged our attention to detail and also the excellent way in which we serve and represent our community.
‘They particularly singled out innovative projects such as the Lismore, Nimbin and Villages Dining Guide and the Arts Trail,’ Mr Lowe said.
The NSW Tourism Awards is the largest and most prestigious event on the State’s annual tourism calendar.
‘There were a record number of nominations for this year’s awards,’ Mr Page said.
‘There were 152 finalists nominated for 30 categories, a testament to the diversity and strength of the industry.’
