• About the Awards
• Key Dates
• News
• Gala Dinner

Achieving an accolade in the State's premier Tourism Awards,  will give your business a valuable marketing advantage. The South Australian Tourism Awards form part of the Australian Tourism Awards. The Awards Process aims to recognise and promote excellence in tourism.

The Tourism Awards are an annual online submission and site visit based competition.

Since the state awards were implemented in 1983 the diversity and calibre of entrants has matched the vitality and growing professionalism of the South Australian tourism industry. The range of categories has evolved to reflect the changes that have occurred within the industry, with 27 categories available in 2010. The Awards are a submission and site visit based competition for tourism businesses and industry suppliers. The Awards Presentation and Gala Dinner provides the opportunity to publicly recognise and showcase this state’s finest tourism operators.

The Awards aims to:

• Publicly recognise and reward excellence in the tourism industry.

• Encourage and celebrate creativity, professionalism and innovation in South Australian Tourism.

• Support improved business planning, development and internal analysis among tourism operators.

• Provide a benchmark for best practice within the tourism industry.

• Continuously improve and raise standards.

• Reinforce the value of the tourism industry.

• Reinforce consumer confidence in the tourism industry.

• Provide a better South Australian visitor experience.

Why enter

Entering the South Australian Tourism Awards provides an opportunity for you to:

• Raise the profile and reputation of your business.

• Showcase your success to the industry and public.

• Review goals and record achievements.

• Benchmark against other professionals.

• Receive recognition of excellence by your peers.

• Enhance your business performance.

Important Dates

    Friday 9 July                    

• Nominations Close

    Monday 16 August          

• Submissions Due

    Friday 24 September       

• Category 27: Outstanding Contribution by an Individual submissions due

    Thursday 18 November    

• South Australian Tourism Awards Presentation Ceremony & Gala Dinner 

Who chooses award winners
State judging is conducted by a panel of industry peers appointed by the South Australian Tourism Industry Council. The panel comprises a cross-section of tourism industry experts, some of whom are former award winners. Judges are selected for their knowledge and experience, and for their willingness to commit time to the Awards process. The panel operates independently to the South Australian Tourism Industry Council and is convened each year specifically for the Tourism Awards. Judges are grouped in teams of three, but independently review and score submissions. Each group assesses approximately five categories.

Independent assessment assured
Professional auditors oversee the South Australian and Australian Tourism Awards judging process. Their role is to audit submissions for compliance, audit score sheets and check conflicts of interest and confidentiality declarations.

The Awards

Depending on the standard of entry, entrants may be acknowledged with a gold, silver or bronze medal. The winner (the entrant with the highest score) in each category will go on to contest the Australian Tourism Awards in February 2011.

Winner - awarded to the entry which is judged to be the most outstanding in its category.

 Gold Medal - presented to entries of a very high standard,

where the judging panel awards the entrant a score of 90% or higher.

Silver Medal - presented to entries of a high standard,

where the judging panel awards the entrant a score of 80% or higher.

Bronze Medal - presented to entries of a very good standard

where the judging panel awards the entrant a score of 75% or higher.

Hall of Fame - awarded to an entrant winning the same category three years in a row.

They will be acknowledged for their achievements for a three-year period,

during which they are still able to contest the state awards.