Bay takes out third national tourism award in three weeks
Hervey Bay continues to stamp its reputation as one of the best places in the country to visit with the city receiving three national tourism awards in the past three weeks.
Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour said international online travel booking business Booking.com had ranked Hervey Bay as third in their list of the Top 10 Most Welcoming Destinations in Australia.
“After such a tough year, it is inspiring to see Hervey Bay winning awards and being recognised,” Cr Seymour said.
“Hervey Bay, and the Fraser Coast region as a whole, really does have something for everyone.
“It’s the home of the World-Heritage listed K’gari (Fraser Island), offers unique diving experiences, safe and secluded beaches, and is the number one place to watch humpback whales at play.
“This new tourism award comes hot on the heels of Wotif naming Hervey Bay as the seventh most popular spot in the country in the 2021 Aussie Town of the Year Awards and WetSide being voted number one in the Wotif Top 10 Amusement Parks and Water Parks in Australia.
“The great thing about all these awards is that they are based on feedback from travellers, so full credit to our local community and our local business people for making visitors to our beautiful region feel so welcome.”
The Bookings.com list of the top ten Most Welcoming Destinations in Australia are:
- Maleny, QLD;
- Denmark, WA;
- Hervey Bay, QLD;
- Margaret River Town, WA;
- Montville, QLD;
- Rockhampton, QLD;
- Mildura, VIC;
- Bendigo, VIC;
- Tanunda, SA, and;
- Mount Tamborine, QLD
The rankings are an insight into traveller preferences during the past year.
Consumers are increasingly conscious of health and hygiene, on average, winners had a cleanliness score that was 17% higher than the average cleanliness score for non-winners, suggesting it may be a differentiator for a more perfect welcome.
While hotels were the second most-awarded accommodation type globally, in Australia, travellers dished out the greatest number of awards to apartments and holiday homes.
Motels had the third highest number of awards, suggesting locals favour independent, quintessential Aussie road trips due to state border restrictions.
Booking.com expects an increased focus on travel in 2021.
The group’s research indicated 62% of Australian travellers expect the travel industry to offer more sustainable travel options and travellers will consequently visit alternative destinations in a bid to avoid traveling during peak season (52%) and overcrowding (50%).