Contributed
THE BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort team shone brightly alongside some of the state’s premier tourism operators at the 38th annual Queensland Tourism Awards, held in Cairns, on Friday night (November 24).
The gala event showcased Queensland’s world-class tourism offerings with 184 nominations in 31 award categories, ranging from attractions and events, to touring and accommodation.
Winning not one but two gold awards, BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort was acknowledged with top honours in the ‘Caravan and Holiday Parks’ category for the sixth time at a state level, while also winning gold in the inaugural ‘Excellence in Accessible Tourism’ category, which was supported by the Palaszczuk Government in recognition of 2023 being the ‘Year of Accessible Tourism’.
“This recognition reflects our position, not only as one of Queensland’s most loved family holiday resorts, but also as one of the state’s leading accessible resorts for guests of all abilities,” BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort owner Greg McKinnon said; Greg attended the gala event.
“We’ve been told that there was a record number of tourism award entries this year and an increase of 25 percent on last year, so how fantastic is it to see operators in Queensland kicking so many goals.
“It’s such an exciting time in terms of where the Whitsundays is placed as one of the state’s most desirable holiday destinations, and all the contingent of Whitsunday operators who attended, whether finalists or winners, showed their commitment to excellence as a region, which was also reflected in the number of gongs.”
On the back of the double gold win, Greg and the BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort team will now join the other Queensland gold winners who are automatically entered into the Australian Tourism Awards, to be held in Darwin, in March next year.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Minister for Tourism, Innovation and Sport,Stirling Hinchliffe, joined industry leaders and operators to celebrate Queensland’s tourism industry.
“Congratulations to award winners and finalists for creating world-class visitor experiences and helping to make 2023 an extraordinary year for Queensland’s tourism industry,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
“Queensland’s place as the nation’s favourite holiday destination and a record $33.2bn visitor economy is a credit to the ingenuity and commitment of the state’s tourism operators.
“Thank you to BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort for leadership in all-abilities visitor experiences and as winner of the Palaszczuk Government’s inaugural ‘Excellence in Accessible Tourism’ Award.”
Owned and operated by the McKinnon family, this year saw the popular Whitsunday resort turn the big 3-0.
After three decades of transformation to the multi award-winning property it is today, BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort continues to shine, this past year adding another seven new cabins, developing a range of accessible accommodation and facilities, and finishing construction of its 71-bed ‘Bunk House’ quality dormitory accommodation, catering to the Edu tourism and groups market.
Aiming to minimise obstacles guests may otherwise face, areas of focus this year have included new developments for the vision impaired and those with mobility issues, while also complementing its well-utilised Sensory Room, which caters for children on the autism spectrum and their families, by offering a special holiday retreat.
“We couldn’t ever achieve this without the support of our guests, many who return time and time again, so we thank them sincerely,” Greg said.
“We extend our congratulations to everyone who entered in the awards process and a huge thanks again to the Queensland Tourism Industry Council for putting on a wonderful night for industry to come together and celebrate. See, Queensland always does it best.”
BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort offers a relaxed, family friendly environment with an extensive range of quality facilities and services, well appointed cabins and happy, helpful staff.
Set amongst 10 hectares of beautifully landscaped tropical gardens, the resort caters for a variety of budgets with a wide range of accommodation options from camping and caravanning sites to luxury, three-bedroom condos.
Over 15 onsite activities include a huge, mega waterslide park, lagoon style pool, mini golf, outdoor cinema, Kid’s Club, and year-round activities program.
For more information visit www.adventurewhitsunday.com.au.
