CITY OF MELBOURNE AND VTIC JOIN FORCES TO CELEBRATE THE STATE’S VIBRANT VISITOR ECONOMY FOR THE THIRD YEAR RUNNING

VTIC CEO, Felicia Mariani

VTIC CEO, Felicia Mariani, said VTIC was thrilled to align once again with City of Melbourne in delivering such a crucial program for the tourism and events industry in Victoria.

The Victorian Tourism Awards have supported the state’s tourism industry for over 30 years in striving for excellence. The Awards represent an industry framework for peer recognition which fosters a culture of business development, excellence, and innovation.

"The Tourism Awards have always been about celebrating hard work and dedication in creating quality tourism experiences. This has never been more important than over the past two years, when the industry has struggled under its worst challenges in living memory.

"Recognising the need to celebrate and support an industry that has meant so much to the city and to the state, in 2021 the City of Melbourne stepped up to align with VTIC and take on the position as our Presenting Partner for these important awards.

“Over the past two years, their support and partnership has allowed us to celebrate the incredible resilience displayed by tourism businesses across our state and to acknowledge business excellence exhibited by so many Victorian tourism operators,” Ms Mariani said.

In 2023, the Victorian Tourism Awards Gala event will this year include a special category for the City of Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Award, which will recognise one Greater Melbourne business for their commitment to responsible tourism. This is a unique category that has been created to specifically support the focus that City of Melbourne has placed on sustainability within their strategic priorities.

After three decades of an awards program that recognises the best tourism products and experiences in Victoria and across Australia, the City of Melbourne is proud to join the exclusive list of prestigious organisations that have taken a prime position in partnering with this event. .

“The City of Melbourne is honoured to present an inaugural award in 2023 to showcase businesses who demonstrate responsible and sustainable tourism practices. International research shows this is becoming increasingly important to travellers across the globe – that’s why we want to encourage and reward this work, said Lord Mayor Sally Capp.

“Our tourism and events businesses are at the forefront of making Melbourne the best place to live, work and visit – and we’re thrilled to celebrate an industry that has shaped the success of our city and state for the last 30 years.”

* Olivia Joyce      o.joyce@cprcomm.com.au