Australia’s leading tourism operators have been recognised at the 2018 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards, which were held in Launceston on Friday night.

Notably, four businesses won the prestigious accolade of being inducted into the Australian Tourism Awards Hall of Fame for taking the top honours in their respective categories three years running.

These were Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers (Queensland) for Major Festivals and Events, Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures (Western Australia) for Adventure Tourism, The Beach House and Bayside (Western Australia) for Hosted Accommodation, and The Frames Luxury Accommodation (South Australia) for Deluxe Accommodation.

In addition, the Irwin Family (pictured above) was awarded the prestigious title of Australian Tourism Legend, recognising for their continued contribution to the local tourism industry through the promotion of Australia as a destination of choice, and also through their tireless work in protecting the environment.

The awards, which showcase the best in outstanding customer service, innovation and ongoing business excellence, were presented in front of 800 industry peers and officials from across Australia.

Daniel Gschwind, chair of the Australian Tourism Awards, congratulated all the winners and finalists from across Australia.

“To reach the finalists stage of the Australian Tourism Awards is a great honour in itself and all finalists should be immensely proud of their efforts,” he said.

“The winners from tonight’s event truly are the best of the best, with a lot of strong competition across all categories.

“Those that have taken home the trophy have been honoured for their hard work, innovation and commitment to quality, which contributes to the ongoing success of our $55.3 billion tourism industry.

“It is businesses like these that drive the growing contribution that tourism makes to the economy and communities right across Australia.

Below is the full list of winners and grinners from this year’s Australian Tourism Awards:

Major Tourist Attractions

Gold: Port Arthur Historic Site, Tas

Silver: National Gallery of Australia, ACT

Bronze: Busselton Jetty, WA

Tourist Attractions

Gold: Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, WA

Silver: Capricorn Caves, Qld

Bronze: Katherine Outback Experience, NT

Major Festivals & Events

Gold: Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, Qld

Silver: Formula 1 2018 Rolex Australian Grand Prix, Vic

Bronze: Splendour in the Grass 2017, NSW

Festivals & Events

Gold: Mount Isa Mines Rotary Rodeo, Qld

Silver: CinefestOZ, WA

Bronze: Parkes Shire Council — 2018 Parkes Elvis Festival, NSW

Ecotourism

Gold: Fun Over Fifty, Qld

Silver: Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park, Vic

Bronze: Three Capes Track, Tas

Cultural Tourism

Gold: Port Arthur Historic Site, Tas

Silver: Paronella Park, Qld

Bronze: Fremantle Prison, WA

Qantas Award for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Tourism

Gold: Go Cultural Aboriginal Tours and Experiences, WA

Silver: Nitmiluk Tours and Cicada Lodge, NT

Bronze: Mossman Gorge Centre, Qld

Specialised Tourism Services

Gold: Proud Mary, SA

Silver: Small World Journeys, Qld

Bronze: Willie Creek Pearls at Elizabeth Quay, WA

Visitor Information Services

Gold: Swan Valley Visitor Centre, WA

Silver: Canberra and Region Visitors Centre, ACT

Bronze: Tourism Central Australia, NT

Business Event Venues

Gold: Adelaide Hills Convention Centre, SA

Silver: Holmesglen at Eildon, Vic

Bronze: Novotel Twin Waters Resort, Qld

Major Tour & Transport Operators

Gold: Red Cat Adventures, Qld

Silver: Pennicott Wilderness Journeys, Tas

Bronze: SkyBus, Vic

Tour & Transport Operators

Gold: Kimberley Quest, WA

Silver: Ocean Safari, Qld

Bronze: Autopia Tours — Small Group Adventures, Vic

Adventure Tourism

Gold: Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, WA

Silver: Roaring 40s Kayaking, Tas

Bronze: Calypso Star Charters, SA

Destination Marketing

Gold: Pie Time, Southern Highlands, NSW

Silver: Shoalhaven Tourism – 100 Beach Challenge Campaign, NSW

Bronze: Yorke Peninsula Tourism, SA

Tourism Restaurants & Catering Services

Gold: Cicada Lodge Restaurant at Nitmiluk Gorge, NT

Silver: Sandalford Wines, WA

Bronze: Royal Mail Hotel, Vic

Tourism Wineries, Distilleries & Breweries

Gold: Bundaberg Rum Visitor Experience, Qld

Silver: Seppeltsfield Estate, SA

Bronze: Willie Smith’s Apple Shed, Tas

Caravan & Holiday Parks

Gold: BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort, Qld

Silver: NRMA Port Arthur Holiday Park, Tas

Bronze: RAC Cervantes Holiday Park, WA

Hosted Accommodation

Gold: The Beach House at Bayside, WA

Silver: Cobbold Village, Qld

Bronze: Mulberry Lodge Country Retreat, SA

Unique Accommodation

Gold: Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures – The Horizontal Hotel, WA

Silver: Whitsunday Escape, Qld

Bronze: Jamala Wildlife Lodge, ACT

Self-Contained Accommodation

Gold: The Frames, SA

Silver: Avalon Coastal Retreat, Tas

Bronze: Balingup Heights Hilltop Forest Cottages, WA

Standard Accommodation

Gold: Cave Hill Creek, Vic

Silver: Grand Hotel and Apartments Townsville, Qld

Bronze: Leumeah Lodge, ACT

Deluxe Accommodation

Gold: MACq 01 Hotel, Tas

Silver: Wallaroo Marina Apartments, SA

Bronze: Kununurra Country Club Resort, WA

Luxury Accommodation

Gold: Cicada Lodge at Nitmiluk Gorge, NT

Silver: Alkina Lodge, Vic

Bronze: RACV Royal Pines Resort, Qld

New Tourism Business

Gold: St Andrews Beach Brewery, Vic

Silver: Blue Ginger Picnics, NSW

Bronze: Vasse Virgin at Seppeltsfield, SA

Excellence in Food Tourism

Gold: Two Feet & a Heartbeat, WA

Silver: Sarina Sugar Shed, Qld

Bronze: Coal River Farm, Tas

Australian Tourism Legend

The Irwin family