It was gold, gold, gold for the City of Greater Bendigo, winning top accolades in three categories at the Victorian Tourism Awards held last night at Melbourne Town Hall.
The City won the Local Government Award for Tourism for the second year in a row. It recognises excellence in tourism planning, the provision of tourism facilities and services, marketing, event development and management, and the overall contribution made both locally and overall to their state's tourism industry.
Bendigo Visitor Centre was awarded gold in the Visitor Information Services Award category in recognition of its consistent high-quality customer service and face to face interaction with visitors.
The Living Arts Space (LAS) and the Uniquely Bendigo brand scooped gold in the Tourism Retail and Hire category. LAS is a niche exhibition venue celebrating the diversity of work from local artists and creatives. The popular Uniquely Bendigo retail brand at Bendigo Visitor Centre promotes locally made artisan products, treats and crafted items together with artworks or items featured in LAS exhibitions.
The City's 2020 Bloom spring campaign was also a finalist in the Tourism and Marketing Campaign category.
City Manager Tourism and Major Events Terry Karamaloudis said the City was thrilled to win gold in three out of four nominated categories.
"It is fantastic news to win in so many highly competitive categories with contenders from across Victoria," Mr Karamaloudis said.
"This is wonderful recognition of how our staff and volunteers have been able to overcome the enormous challenges during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to create unique experiences and welcoming opportunities for visitors.
"To achieve this and win three golds is just fantastic and the City is very proud of our staff and volunteers who deliver exciting tourism, events and visitor services, and work hard to make everyone's visit to the region a memorable experience.
"Our staff and volunteers continue to show incredible creativity, resilience and passion for our local tourism industry and its recovery.
"The City also congratulates Balgownie Estate Bendigo for winning gold in the Unique Accommodation category for its glamping experience."
