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Kiama’s Little Blowhole Photo: Tim Clark, Visit NSW.
Kiama defends Top Tourism Town crown Paul Suttor
K
iama has enhanced its reputation as one of Australia's top holiday destinations by winning NSW's Top Tourism Town award for the second year in a row. The prestigious award was announced on Tuesday at the NSW Local Government Destination and Visitor Economy Conference in Kingscliff.
Councillor Matt Brown, who is the chair of Destination Kiama, was elated after going back to back. Kiama Municipal Council tourism and economic development manager Sally Bursell and Councillor Yasmin Tatrai were also in attendance at the awards ceremony. “This award is a testament to the collaborative efforts of our tourism operators, local businesses, and the wider community,” said Cr Brown.
“It reinforces Kiama’s reputation as a welcoming and vibrant destination that offers authentic and memorable experiences year-round. "This is two years in a row that Kiama has won Top Tourism Town, it gives our area such pride and it shows that our local operators and businesses are really satisfying our visitor experience." He said this prestigious accolade highlights Kiama’s continued excellence in
tourism, exceptional visitor experiences, and the strong sense of pride that flows through its local community. Judging included a comprehensive assessment of Destination Kiama’s target market segmentation, reasoning and data backed outcomes, a travel itinerary to suit that market, short video production, a public vote, and a secret shopper visit. Destination Kiama has dedicated its initiatives to
Matt Brown, Yasmin Tatrai and Sally Bursell celebrate the win. support local tourism and grow the visitor economy sustainably. “Tourism management has evolved and is no longer about simply increasing visitor numbers,” Bursell said. “In fact, it’s quite the opposite - our focus is on strategies that ease pressure on the community and maximise both economic and social benefits. "We do this by prioritising the reduction of seasonality
and targeting high-value travellers who stay longer in non-traditional times and spend more.” A little further down the South Coast, the picturesque seaside village of Huskisson collected the NSW Tiny Tourism Town award for places with a population under 1500.It was the third consecutive win for “Husky”. Both towns have now qualified for national honours later this year.