Locals line up for state tourism awards

GILBERTON Outback Retreat, Mossman Gorge Centre, Cairns Aquarium, Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Small World Journeys are among the Tropical North Queensland entrants in this year’s annual Queensland Tourism Awards.

With more than 200 entrants statewide across 28 categories, Tropical North Queensland’s tourism industry hopes to make its mark at the awards at The Star Gold Coast on November 16.

Laurie Pritchard, owner and managing director of Earlville educational adventure tours Small World Journeys, said entering the awards in 2016 gave the team invaluable insight.

“The act of writing the submission in 2016 made us improve and streamline so many of our systems, policies and content. We became a much better business because of it,” Ms Pritchard said.

“Small World Journeys has significant goals not only for profit, but also for helping our community and the environment. I like to think we ‘walk the walk’ with these elements.”

BIG 4 Ingenia Holidays Cairns Coconut Resort, Cape York Camping Punsand Bay, Cobbold Village, Down Under Cruise & Dive, Kuranda Riverboat Tours, Ocean Safari, Paronella Park, Passions of Paradise, Rainforestation Nature Park, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, The Crystal Caves and Wonderland Spiegeltent were among other TNQ entrants.