Want to know how to win a California holiday worth $7000? No, we aren’t joking. All you have to do is have your say on the Aussie travel industry – and YES that includes the best travel agency!

Cheapflights Awards are coming up fast, and with the candidates dwindled down to an amazing bunch of finalists, it’s now your chance to vote.

The global flight search and travel deals platform is calling on all Aussies to vote for their favourite travel companies and brands as it celebrates industry excellence and innovation.

There are 18 categories to vote in – including airports, airlines, experiences, travel media talent and everything in between. The awards have just opened up today for public voting – but only until October 9, with the winners set to be announced later in October.

The best bit? Apart from getting to have your say on the best of the best in the industry, everyone who votes will go in the draw to win a holiday to California worth $7000, courtesy of Qantas. All you need to do is visit Cheapflights.com.au/awards to vote and enter the competition.

Nathan Graham, Regional Sales Manager at Cheapflights ANZ, said the team is thrilled to bring the Cheapflights Awards to Australia, the company’s fastest growing market, after successful launches in both South Africa and the UK in the last 12 months.

“Australia’s tourism sector is outpacing much of the rest of the world with both international and domestic numbers continuing to surge, up more than six per cent on average year-on-year.

“There’s clearly a huge hunger in this industry and we’re proud to be able to recognise and support companies that are doing amazing work,” he said.

The difficult finalist decisions were made by an elite judging panel of 10 key travel and lifestyle media – including The New Daily’s lifestyle editor Susannah Guthrie, Lifestyle.com.au editor Sammy Preston and Fairfax Traveller’s Tripologist, columnist Michael Gibecki.

So without further ado, the shortlisted nominees across the 18 categories are:

• FAVOURITE AIRPORT – METRO
  • Adelaide Airport
  • Brisbane Airport
  • Melbourne Tullamarine Airport
  • Sydney Airport
  • Canberra Airport

• FAVOURITE AIRPORT – REGIONAL
  • Ballina Byron Gateway Airport
  • Cairns Airport
  • Launceston Airport
  • Sunshine Coast Airport
  • Gold Coast Airport

• FAVOURITE AIRPORT – EATING AND SHOPPING
  • Adelaide Airport
  • Brisbane Airport
  • Melbourne Tullamarine Airport 
  • Sydney Airport
  • Perth Airport

• BEST AIRPORT – SECURITY EXPERIENCE
  • Adelaide Airport
  • Brisbane Airport
  • Cairns Airport
  • Sydney Airport
  • Sunshine Coast Airport

• FAVOURITE AIRLINE – DOMESTIC

• Qantas Airways
• Rex Airlines
• Virgin Australia
• Jetstar Airways
• Tigerair Australia

• FAVOURITE AIRLINE – CREW
  • Qantas Airways
  • Air New Zealand
  • Singapore Airways
  • Virgin Australia
  • Qatar Airways

• FAVOURITE AIRLINE – INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
  • Air New Zealand
  • Qantas Airways
  • Emirates
  • Singapore Airways
  • Virgin Australia

• FAVOURITE TRAVEL AGENT
  • Flight Centre
  • Helloworld Travel Limited
  • TravelManagers Australia
  • STA Travel
  • TravelOnline

• FAVOURITE ONLINE TRAVEL AGENT
  • Booking.com
  • Expedia
  • STA Travel
  • Wotif
  • BYOjet

• FAVOURITE TOUR OPERATOR
  • Intrepid Travel
  • AAT Kings Tours
  • Contiki Tours
  • G Adventures
  • Gate 1 Travel

• FAVOURITE DESTINATION – DOMESTIC HOLIDAY
  • Lord Howe Island
  • Kangaroo Island
  • Kimberley
  • Noosa
  • Whitsunday Islands

• FAVOURITE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE OR ATTRACTION
  • Great Barrier Reef
  • Kakadu National Park
  • Sea turtle season, Heron Island
  • Sydney Opera House
  • Barossa Valley Vineyards and Wineries

• FAVOURITE DESTINATION – ASIA-PACIFIC HOLIDAY
  • Bali/Indonesia
  • Fiji
  • Hong Kong
  • Japan
  • South Korea

• FAVOURITE DESTINATION – LONG-HAUL HOLIDAY
  • Edinburgh
  • Los Angeles
  • New York
  • Paris
  • Rio de Janeiro

• FAVOURITE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER TRAVEL SECTION OR TRAVEL MAGAZINE
  • Traveller (Fairfax)
  • Escape (News Ltd)
  • The Australian – Travel
  • International Traveller
  • get lost
  • Economy Traveller

• FAVOURITE TV OR RADIO TRAVEL SHOW
  • Postcards
  • 2UE Talking Travel
  • Radio Australia Travel and Tourism
  • A Taste of Travel
  • Travel Oz

• FAVOURITE TRAVEL SOCIAL INFLUENCER/BLOGGER

• Y Travel Blog
• World of Wanderlust
• THIS WKNDR
• Girl Tweets World
• Holy Smithereens
• Melbourne Girl

So if you want your fave airport, agency network, or destination to win – get voting, stat.