Australian Tourism Awards

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:31): My question is for the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Can the minister tell the chamber about the exciting results for South Australian tourism operators at the recent Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in Launceston?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (14:31): I thank the honourable member for his ongoing interest in the tourism sector.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Yes, I am in this house and I am very happy to answer this question. I recently had the great pleasure of visiting Launceston to join our South Australian nominees for the 2019 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. The awards took place with the backdrop of the beautiful Cataract Gorge on a very warm evening, particularly for Tasmania. It was a pleasure there. It was my first national awards that I had attended. Especially when—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition, don't put me in a position where I am going to start docking questions. I cannot hear the Hon. Mr Ridgway talk about—I am not even sure what he is talking about because I haven't had an opportunity to hear him.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: This is the first national awards that I have attended. Especially when you are in the room, it becomes very obvious the calibre of the competition South Australian tourism operators are up against. It is a very highly competitive market. It was a pleasure to be there at the awards, hosted by the Tasmanian industry, and particularly to catch up and speak with my very good friend and Premier of Tasmania, the Hon. Will Hodgman.

It was a highlight to see The Frames Luxury Accommodation from the Riverland inducted into the prestigious Australian Tourism Awards Hall of Fame after winning the self-contained accommodation category for three consecutive years. Located in Paringa, The Frames offers three opulent private retreats, each exquisitely tailored to help couples rejuvenate, with magnificent views over the Murray River.

The Adelaide Hills Convention Centre was named Australia's best business event. Surrounded by picturesque landscape of the Adelaide Hills, the convention centre provides unique, world-class business event facilities and services. It has been transformed since the Schirripa family invested in it following the sale of their mushroom business.

Proud Mary was crowned Australia's best specialised tourism service. The purpose-built riverboat operates 365 days a year and provides an ideal environment for passengers to explore, experience, indulge and discover all that the River Murray has to offer.

In addition, six regional tourism businesses were awarded silver and bronze medals, acknowledging their commitment to delivering outstanding tourism experiences. They were a silver award to Seppeltsfield Barossa estate for tourism wineries, distilleries and breweries; a silver for the Wallaroo Marina Apartments in the category of deluxe accommodation; a bronze for Calypso Star Charters in the category of adventure tourism; a bronze for Yorke Peninsula Tourism for destination marketing; a bronze for the Mulberry Lodge Country Retreat in the category of hosted accommodation; and Vasse Virgin received a bronze at Seppeltsfield for a new tourism business.

As I mentioned, the awards were announced at the gala dinner on Friday 1 March at Cataract Gorge in Launceston, attended by Australia's key tourism representatives and leaders. The standards demanded by these awards are exceptionally high and it is certainly clear that a place on the national stage takes a huge amount of persistence, passion and innovation.

Having travelled through our unique and beautiful regions a lot, particularly in my time as minister, I know that South Australia offers an incredibly diverse and niche range of tourism products and experiences. To see that acknowledged at a national level was a real thrill and honour. Each business epitomises the passion, dedication and verve of our state's $6.9 billion tourism industry, focused on delivering unforgettable experiences to countless local, interstate and international visitors each year. I wish them all continued success in the years to come.

I also encourage those who made submissions for the state awards to take the opportunity again this year. The awards program is a great business development exercise and assists operators to really identify every opportunity to finesse their product or experience. Of course, South Australian finalists for the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards are selected at the annual state awards where most category winners go on to represent the state at a national level. Nominations for the 2019 South Australian Tourism Awards opened on Tuesday 12 March and will close on Monday 24 June.