The Queensland Tourism Awards are the pinnacle of excellence in our state’s tourism industry.
For 40 years, the awards have celebrated exceptional industry accomplishments, honouring the finest individuals, businesses, and events across Queensland.
Winners and finalists are announced at the industry’s night of nights – the annual Queensland Tourism Awards Gala Ceremony. Select category winners advance to the Australian Tourism Awards, competing for top national honours.
Entering the awards
Nominations for the 2025 Queensland Tourism Awards are now open!
The awards are an opportunity to recognise the achievements of your business and team, and to be rewarded for your contribution to the state’s visitor economy.
Discover everything you need to know about entering the awards, including conditions of entry, preparing a submission and award categories by downloading the Entrant Guidebook or watching our step-by-step video.
Steps to enter
Step 1: Nominate your business
Nominating is a quick and easy process and ensures that you’re in the running to later complete a submission.
Nominate via the Quality Tourism Framework online portal.
Step 2: Finalise your business standards
This step does not apply to businesses already accredited through the Quality Tourism Framework.
After paying the nomination fee, the Quality Tourism Framework online portal unlocks, allowing you to complete your business or accommodation standards. This step showcases your dedication to high-quality standards and essential business practices.
Step 3: Prepare your submission
Prepare for success!
Create a timeline for your submission and start early, as the process is extensive and requires careful research. Take advantage of QTIC’s various entrant support services and utilise the Online Award Portal to save your submission progress at any time. Don’t forget to download and read the Rules for Entry before completing your submission.
Step 4: Virtual site visits
The virtual site visit is an important step to assess and confirm the statements made in your submission. We’ll arrange a time that is convenient for both you and the virtual site visit judge.
Step 5: Lodge your submission
Dates to remember
Swipe across to see all dates
10am Tuesday 1 April
5pm Friday 9 May
5pm Monday 9 June
Business and/or Accommodation Standards are due.
5pm Thursday 14 August
TBC
For finalists in select award categories, be sure to promote voting for the RACQ People’s Choice Awards.
Friday 14 November
Winners are announced at the Queensland Tourism Awards Gala Ceremony.
TBC
Winners of select award categories qualify as finalists for the national awards, with winners announced at the Australian Tourism Awards.
The Queensland Tourism Awards are evolving, with exciting updates to the submission process taking effect in 2025.
The submission process will be streamlined, incorporating industry feedback to save entrants time while maintaining the awards’ integrity and prestige.
Key improvements include simplified questions, a reduced word count (4,000–7,500 words), and a guided format to help entrants better showcase their achievements. These changes will be implemented nationally, ensuring entrants across Australia benefit for the enhanced process.
Award categories
01. Major Tourist Attractions
This category recognises natural or built attractions that people visit for pleasure and interest.
Entrants in this category attract amongst the highest visitor numbers during the qualifying period for their State/Territory. Major Tourist Attractions would see over 100,001 annual visitors to the attraction.
02. Tourist Attractions
This category recognises natural or built attractions that people visit for pleasure and interest.
Entrants in this category attract amongst the highest visitor numbers during the qualifying period for their State/Territory. Major Tourist Attractions would see over 100,001 annual visitors to the attraction.
03. Major Festivals and Events
This category recognises tourism leisure festivals, events and exhibitions that enhance the profile/awareness and appeal of the destination they are held in as well as creating economic impact, increased visitation and community involvement.
This category is open to (but not limited to) sporting, arts, historical, cultural, literary, comedy, culinary and general interest festivals, events and exhibitions with local, interstate and international visitor attendance over 50,000 or recognised by the STO as a major event on their event calendar
04. Festivals and Events
This category recognises tourism leisure festivals, events and exhibitions that enhance the profile/awareness and appeal of the destination they are held in as well as creating economic impact, increased visitation and community involvement.
05. The Steve Irwin Award for Ecotourism
This category recognises ecologically sustainable tourism businesses with a primary focus on experiencing natural areas. Entrants in this category foster environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation, and conservation.
06. Cultural Tourism
This category recognises tourism businesses that foster a greater understanding and appreciation of authentic culture, history, heritage and/or the arts.
07. Award for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism Experiences
This category recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism experiences that demonstrate authenticity and cultivate a greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, history, and traditions.
08. Tourism Retail, Hire and Services
This category recognises businesses that sell/provide goods or hire services which contribute to the tourism industry. The contribution made to the tourism industry can be economical (e.g. retail, galleries), experience based (traditionally non-tourism specific experiences e.g. shopping precincts) or service based (e.g. digital solutions for travellers or tourism businesses).
09. Visitor Information Services
This category recognises the consistent delivery of high-quality and face-to-face information services to the visitor. This category is open to Visitor Information Centres/Tourist Offices, Local Tourist Associations and Regional Tourism Organisations.
10. Business Event Venues
This category recognises venues who provide high quality facilities specifically designed for business visitors e.g. meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions.
11. Major Tour and Transport Operators
This category recognises a business who makes a major contribution in the combined provision of touring and transport services. This category is open to businesses with 15 or more annual full-time equivalent employees.
12. Tour and Transport Operators
This category recognises a business who makes a major contribution in the combined provision of touring and transport services. This category is open to businesses with fewer than 15 annual full-time equivalent employees.
13. Adventure Tourism
This category recognises outdoor adventure tourism experiences that involve visitor participation and a personal challenge.
14. The Richard Power Award for Tourism Marketing & Campaigns
This category recognises creativity and innovation in the promotion of tourism products, services and/or destinations. The focus can be for a specific singular or ongoing campaign or ongoing integrated marketing approach delivering innovative marketing/campaigns that supports the promotion of the tourism industry.
This category is open to digital enterprises, Regional Tourism Organisations, Local Tourist Associations, Visitor Information Centres, Online Travel Agents, local government and marketing alliances. This category is not for individual tourism products.
15. Tourism Restaurants and Catering Services
This category recognises all restaurants and catering services offering a tourism experience and/or servicing the tourism industry. It is not a food award but does recognise a significant contribution to tourism through the provision of food and beverage. This category is open to hotel or stand-alone restaurants, event caterers, pubs and cafés.
16. Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries
This category recognises wineries, distilleries and boutique breweries that offer a cellar door experience and create a significant contribution to tourism.
17. Caravan and Holiday Parks
This category recognises tourism excellence in a caravan or holiday park. The focus of this award is on both the facilities and services that enhance the tourism experience.
This category is open to caravan or holiday parks that offer cabin and tenting accommodation and must meet a 3 – 5 Caravan & Holiday Park Star Rating Standard
18. Hosted Accommodation
This category recognises hosted accommodation that offers a bed & breakfast, farm stay, cottage or other intimate accommodation experience and must meet a 3-5 Hosted Accommodation Star Rating Standard.
Serviced apartments, hotels and resorts should consider entry into one of categories 21-24 which best fit their product. For companies that are managing multiple self-contained properties they should focus on one of their properties.
19. Unique Accommodation
This category recognises tourism excellence in accommodation providing a unique tourism experience that includes an overnight accommodation experience with an included activity. The focus of this award is on the uniqueness of the tourism experience.
This category is open to properties developed around unconventional accommodation infrastructure that includes an activity (passive or active). Entry is open – but not limited to – tented holidays, houseboats, tree houses, underground accommodation and yacht charters.
20. Self Contained Accommodation
This category recognises tourism excellence in accommodation providing guests with non-serviced accommodation and the freedom of self-sufficiency. The focus of this award is on both the facilities and services that enhance the tourism experience.
This category is open to accommodation that offers a self-catered accommodation experience and meets a 3-5 Self Catering Accommodation Star Rating Standard.
For companies that are managing multiple self-contained properties it is recommended they focus on one of their properties.
21. 3-3.5 Star Accommodation
This category recognises serviced accommodation that meets the 3-3.5 Star Rating standard (pre-assessment or final rating). The focus of this award is on both the facilities and services that enhance
the tourism experience.
This category is open to accommodation experiences that meets a 3 to 3.5 Star Rating Standard in any Star Rating category.
22. 4-4.5 Star Deluxe Accommodation
This category recognises serviced accommodation that meets the 4 or 4.5 Star Rating Standard (pre- assessment or final rating). The focus of this award is on both the facilities and services that enhance the tourism experience.
This category is open to accommodation experiences that meets a 4 or 4.5 Star Rating Standard in any Star Rating category.
23. 5 Star Luxury Accommodation
This category recognises serviced accommodation that meets the 5 Star Rating Standard (pre-assessment or final rating). The focus of this award is on both the facilities and services that enhance the tourism experience.
This category is open to accommodation experiences that meets a 5 Star Rating Standard in any Star Rating category.
24. New Tourism Business
This category recognises new tourism businesses that have commenced trading, visitation, or service delivery during the qualifying period. This award recognises excellence in the planning and development of new tourism infrastructure and/or services.
Existing tourism businesses that have commenced a new product or opened new infrastructure need to enter another category most applicable to the business.
25. Excellence in Food Tourism
This category is open to food producers, providores, tour operators, cooking schools, food attractions, farm gate experiences, farmers markets, trails and other food tourism experiences in the State/Territory, featuring the State/Territory produce as the core component.
26. Excellence in Accessible Tourism
This award recognises businesses that provide a product, experience or service that goes above and beyond to accommodate and cater for people with disabilities and/or specific needs e.g. hearing impairment, low vision, limited mobility, wheelchair/scooter needs or cognitive.
Prerequisite: Met the standard for at least one (1) of the five (5) ‘badges’ in the Accessible Tourismprogram within the Quality Tourism Framework (QTF).
27. Outstanding Contribution by a Volunteer or Volunteer Group
This Award celebrates the strong, ongoing personal commitment made by an individual or team of volunteers who freely give their time and skill, contributing to the professionalism of our industry and the positive image of tourism in Queensland.
28. The Stephen Gregg Award for Young Achiever of the Year
The Stephen Gregg Award for Young Achiever of the Year recognises an individual, less than 35 years of age, working in the tourism industry and their contribution to the development of a vibrant and professional tourism industry.
The winner of the Stephen Gregg Award for Young Achiever of the Year award will receive a $10,000 bursary to be used towards the winner’s further education or skills development within the Tourism industry.
The bursary is provided by Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) and Tourism & Events Queensland (TEQ), with both organisations contributing $5,000, making the total amount awarded $10,000.
29. The Marie Watson-Blake Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual
This award recognises the extraordinary personal and professional achievement and contribution by an individual over many years to the Australian, and particularly the Queensland tourism industry.
30 & 31. RACQ People's Choice Awards
Entrants in the 2024 Queensland Tourism Awards from categories 1 – 26 (except Category 14- Tourism Marketing & Campaigns), will automatically be entered into the RACQ People’s Choice Awards under one of two segments: Experiences and Services, or Accommodation. Voting will be open to the public.
• No submission required
• No site visit required
This category will be completely independent from the judging process and will come down to consumer choice – tourism operators will be able to connect with visitors and followers to encourage them to vote. Voting will be managed by RACQ.
A Gold winner will be announced for both segments based on the highest number of votes they each receive. Voting will open in early September, after submissions have closed.
Entrants will be provided with a marketing toolkit to assist in the promotion of voting
Award Sponsors
Have questions?
Are you keen to enter the awards and would like more information? If you have any questions or would like help with the nomination process, please get in touch with our awards team.