Brisbane 19 October 2013. Tourism operators throughout north Queensland have been recognised by their peers at the annual North Queensland Tourism Awards, held last night at Jupiters Townsville Hotel and Casino.

Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games Jann Stuckey congratulated the 2013 award winners who have played an important role in growing the tourism industry across the region.

“These awards recognise the very best of our industry, and last night’s winners should be proud of their achievement,” Ms Stuckey said.

Ms Stuckey noted the standard of tourism operators in north Queensland was world-class, particularly Mercure Townsville, Kookaburra Tours and Charters, Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE, Mungalla Station and Museum of Tropical Queensland who were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“These operators exemplify the good work being done across this state in terms of boosting the experience of visitors,” she said.

“The Newman Government has prioritised tourism as a pillar of the Queensland economy and we have committed to doubling annual overnight visitor expenditure from $15 billion to $30 billion by 2020.

“With such high quality operators, I’m sure this is a target we can achieve.”

Member for Townsville John Hathaway applauded the winners, who represented a subset of the region’s diverse tourism industry.

“Townsville boasts a range of experiences and last night’s winners are indicative of this diversity,” Mr Hathaway said.

“As local MP, I am very proud to represent these operators and I commend all winners on their achievements.”

A list of the award winners is attached.

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