Hard work pays off for seven local finalists in top tourism awards

From a field of 230 nominations, local organisations made a strong showing throughout the seven categories, with Crank it Up, EAT, and Narooma Oyster festival being named finalists, alongside Region X, Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council, Foxdog Distillery and Tathra Beach Eco Camp.

General manager of the Narooma Oyster Festival, Renee Pearce, said the nomination demonstrated the advantages the event brings to the South Coast.

"It's great to show the community that there are economic benefits from injecting $4.7 million into Narooma during festival weekend," said Renee.

"And, there are the social benefits in supporting local business with visitors who come down and stay in the area for up to a week."

Likewise, EAT Festival Sapphire Coast - which attracts around 5000 attendees - was dedicated to providing a platform to food businesses in the region.

"What's most valuable about our festival and why we keep coming back is that we only promote local businesses: local chefs, local growers, local producers, local distillers," said project lead, Amanda Heather.

"People can come along to the festival and know that everything they eat is going to be grown, produced, caught or created locally."

For Josh Waterson, who co-founded Region X Kayak, Walking and Camping Adventures, the nomination was an acknowledgment of the people who worked in the business.

"Our staff base deserves this recognition for their dedication and hard work," he said.

"It's a pretty incredible industry, but it's not all roses. There are crazy hours and Saturdays and Sundays and inclement weather and all that."

Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council operates the Whale Dreaming Trail and Story Trail and runs culturally-sensitive guided tours of the Bundian Way.

Chief executive officer Dean Muscat said the nomination was a moment of pride for the whole community.

"It's a reflection of our Elders' vision, the passion of our Country Custodians, and the growing interest from visitors who want to experience culture the right way - with respect and authenticity," he said.

Foxdog Distillery is still in its first year of business, but it was celebrated for its contribution to tourism in the Eurobodalla, nevertheless.

"At this age of our business, we're happy just to be there and get the recognition," said head distiller, Ben Plenty.

"I think it'll give us a bit more of a promotion and it's a great reward for all the hard work that we've put in and all our staff have put in."

Merely entering the awards is an effort in itself, which requires a 7000-word document detailing all aspects of the business.

"It's almost like writing a thesis, but it was a great exercise as well, because you have to benchmark yourself against best business practice," said Renee from the Oyster Festival.

"It was a really interesting process, and we learnt a few things about ourselves through that application process as well."

While it might be time-consuming, NSW Tourism Association CEO Natalie Godward said the applications were designed to encourage businesses to examine their practices.

"We've had highly positive feedback from participants who say the process is extremely valuable in helping them build actionable steps to creating business success," she said.

"It's why we continue to see new entrants embracing the program - it builds long-term capability as well as celebrating success."

Apart from the pleasure of getting a prize, a win in their category would help tourism businesses in more tangible ways.

"I feel like recognition at the state level will help leverage future grant opportunities and ensure that we can maximise the potential of sustainability within our organisation," said Josh from Region X.

Tourism is a $50 billion industry for the state, and a major driver of growth and jobs in regional areas like the South Coast, said Minister for Jobs and Tourism, Steve Kamper.

"The finalists represent the very best of our state, setting benchmarks of excellence and demonstrating the important role tourism plays in strengthening local communities," he said.

But win or lose, some finalists are just happy to raise a flute to their recent success.

"We'll have a couple of champers and have a cheers to ourselves," said Ben from Foxdog.

"It's definitely a great first year."