The Top Tourism Town Awards for 2021

As Australia slowly but surely begins to open up after years of bushfire devastation and COVID-19 lockdowns, there’s never been a better time to shout from the rooftops how amazing our country is, and The Top Tourism Town Awards for 2021 is doing just that! 

Just in time for people to start planning their next domestic holiday, the inaugural 2021 Australian Top Tourism Town Awards have just been announced and boy, have we got a lot to be proud about with NSW nabbing two top spots!

NSW Wins Gold at the 2021 Australian Top Tourism Town Awards

From the winner's list, two NSW towns walked away with gongs for their excellence in providing top tourist destinations.

Mudgee

Popular food and wine hotspot, Mudgee, picked up the coveted Gold Medal Award for Australia’s Top Tourism Town 2021. The regional NSW town that lies 261km northwest of Sydney has earned bragging rights for providing out-of-towners with an idyllic holiday experience.

Known for their beautiful wineries, UNESCO World Heritage-listed Wollemi National Park, delicious restaurants and hot-air balloon rides, it’s not hard to see why judges gave Mudgee the hotly contested top award.

Mudgee was also recently awarded a spot in Tripadvisor's Top 10 Emerging Global Destinations for 2021 - go, Mudgee! 

Berrima

The next NSW town to be awarded Australia’s Top Tourism Town 2021 was the historic town of Berrima located in the Southern Highlands, which won the Gold Medal for the best Small Tourism Town in Australia.

Visitors have long been heading to the quaint rural town that sits inland from Wollongong, returning time and time again to taste the local delights, sip gorgeous wines and explore the beautiful countryside.

What it Means to Win Australian Top Tourism Town Awards 2021

These notable NSW tourism wins will be a huge coup for the NSW regional communities who have been doing it tough after travel restrictions have all but decimated their tourism sectors. In a moment of regeneration and rejuvenation, the people of Mudgee and Berrima will surely be excited to show off their award-winning towns to travellers from near and far.

"The Top Tourism Town Awards celebrate the unwavering spirit of these communities and demonstrates the true value of the visitor economy to these towns," said NSW Tourism Industry Council Executive Manager, Greg Binskin in an official statement.

"It’s a testament to the resilience of these towns, that have borne the impact of travel restrictions and border closures, to be proud of what they offer to visitors and the important role the visitor economy plays to provide social and economic benefits to these regional communities," he added.

Silver for Queensland, Victoria & Tasmania

While NSW nabbed the top prizes, Queensland’s coastal Noosa took the Silver Medal and Tasmania’s New Norfolk the Bronze Medal respectively in the Top Tourism Town Award category. Victoria’s Port Fairy was awarded Silver and Tasmania’s Stanley received Bronze in the Small Tourism Town category. 

Happy holidaymaking, folks!

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