The NSW Tourism Industry Council has announced 42 towns across the state as finalists, competing for the inaugural title. Griffith is one of 16 towns in the "greater than 5000 people" category, competing against other finalists such as Dubbo, Orange and Tamworth.

NSW Tourism Industry Council Executive Manager Greg Binskin is excited for the awards, and has been thrilled with the response to the new campaign.

""These Awards are all about community collaboration, groups such as Local Chambers of Commerce, Tourism Associations, Councils and Visitor Information Centres have come together to showcase their town as a tourism destination worthy of celebrating," he said.

Mr Binskin said the process of deciding on finalists was highly competitive, revolving around editorial, image and video content as well as a four day tourism itinerary.

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Griffith City Council's Tourism Manager Mirella Guidolin is urging the town to vote for Griffith in the awards.

"We are very proud to be the only town in the Riverina to be a finalist so it's not only promoting Griffith but the Riverina as a destination..." she said.

The judges' votes will account for 50 per cent of the award, with public response making up the other 50 per cent. The evaluation will take place over the rest of the month, with winners announced by the Minister for Tourism, Investment and Jobs on May 27.

Councillor Christine Stead, chair of the Tourism and Events Committee has said that visitor numbers have doubled since the initial COVID-19 wave, and that the competition could provide a further boost.

"We have always known Griffith is a great place, but now we are really getting the word out there which is increasing the number of visitors to our area - in turn, this adds to our visitor economy and is a win-win situation for everyone."

Voting is now open online and will close on May 14. Griffith's submission to the competition is also available on the website.

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