TWO North Queensland tourist attractions have won prestigious awards for their unique ventures.
The Sarina Sugar Shed won a silver award in the highly competitive Excellence in Food Tourism category at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in Canberra last week.
If follows two consecutive gold accolades at the Queensland Tourism Awards for the same category and marks the second year running the venture has won a national silver award.
Outback-based tourism operator Cobbold Gorge also won a national award, taking out bronze in the fiercely contested Tourist Attractions category.
Following the year of Outback Tourism in 2019, Cobbold Gorge continued to do its region proud - securing a top accolade as first time finalists on the national stage.
The Terry family, who operate Cobbold Gorge Tours, have recently installed an 11-metre glass bridge over the gorge, 60km west of Forsayth, which is the first of its kind in Australia.
It will be open for the 2020 tourism season, giving tourists a chance to walk over the sandstone cliffs and look down into the waters below.
Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) chief executive and Australian Tourism Awards chair Daniel Gschwind said Cobbold Gorge and the Sarina Sugar Shed were perfects example of the high calibre of tourism offerings that Queensland is known for.
"With such a competitive array of destinations across the country, it is reassuring to see Queensland operators excel at these national awards time and time again, and reinforce the State's reputation as a must-see-destination," Mr Gschwind said.
Collectively, Queensland tourism operators took home 14 awards, including five gold, four silver and five bronze awards.
