About 30 people gathered at Pioneer Park Museum to hear Griffith mayor John Dal Broi declare the awards’ process officially open and encourage entrants, who now have 10 weeks, to complete and upload their submissions online. 

“In terms of tourism I think it’s appropriate that we are having this launch here,” Cr Dal Broi said.

“We started this park as a tourist attraction and it has grown due to the hard work of many, many volunteers.

“Tourism pays an enormous amount in activity and income to rural areas, so to have an inland tourism award is fantastic. I encourage businesses to put themselves forward. I believe it is a hard application process but good things are never easy.” 

Inland Tourism Awards chair Tracey Valenzisi said the awards, in their 11th year, are a major tourism industry event for regional NSW and Victoria. 

“The awards are a key program on the regional tourism industry calendar and have been pivotal in supporting the development of businesses,” Ms Valenzisi said.  

“Since the inception, the awards have been credited for elevating many inland tourism businesses to achieve state-wide and national acclaim.

“One of the main focus points of the awards is to develop quality regional tourism products and provide businesses the opportunity to benchmark their business with similar businesses in activity and size and also have the opportunity to identify their own personal and professional development within the tourism industry.”

Entrants comprise tourism businesses, events, marketing organisations, clubs and individuals all aiming for excellence in their industry. The awards culminate in a presentation dinner where more than 200 people, including finalists, supporters, sponsors and guests attend. 

The dinner will be held at the Griffith Ex-Servicemen’s Club on July 26. 

Submissions are open and close on  May 23.