Bathurst named in the Top 10 Aussie Towns of the Year
Published on 13 February 2024
Bathurst has been announced today as amongst the winners of the 2024 Aussie Town of the Year Awards by leading travel app Wotif.
Now in its seventh year, Wotif’s Aussie Town of the Year Awards recognise ten deserving
locations across the country for their contribution to Australian tourism. Designed to
celebrate the Australian cities, towns and regions worthy of the spotlight, the awards also provide travellers with inspiration on where to travel in Australia in 2024. Bathurst was delighted to be ranked number 5 in this year’s awards.
The 2024 Wotif Aussie Town of the Year Awards is based on a data index which measures each destination’s accommodation quality, affordability, traveller satisfaction and trending traveller interest on Wotif.com in 2023 when compared with data for 2022.
Mayor Jess Jennings welcomed the announcement and said the award was a tremendous achievement and recognition for the achievements of the local tourism industry and of the commitment of Council’s tourism and events staff.
“Tourism has been a strong focus for Bathurst Regional Council with the sector contributing approximately $383 million to the local economy in 2022” he said.
“It is an honour for Bathurst to be named in as a Top 10 Winner for 2024, with this award showing that Bathurst has continued to evolve as a ‘must visit’ destination”.
Travel research commissioned by Wotif in conjunction with the Awards suggests that cultural heritage is an important driver in deciding where to travel within Australia, with 51% of intended Aussie travel to include experiencing rich local culture.
“Council’s tourism team based at the Bathurst Visitor Information Centre have worked hard to ensure that our outstanding heritage assets and experiences are promoted as a major part of our destination’s offering. When combined with the region’s signature events this provides a year-round compelling reason to visit and to stay, and to see this recognised is extremely satisfying,” said Cr Jennings.
The result is expected to provide a further boost for the Bathurst region, with Wotif data showing that previous years have resulted in substantial exposure for the winning destinations, further strengthening their position on the Aussie tourism map.
Wotif Travel Expert, Sarah King, says, “Aussie travellers are driven by a curiosity to experience the world around them and it’s fantastic to see that pursuit of discovery leading many to find culture close to home. As one in five (20%) Aussies are planning a trip during the upcoming Easter long weekend and over half (56%) plan on taking advantage of school holidays for local getaways, these awards provide the ultimate inspiration for those planning their travels for the year ahead.”
The result continues a strong run of wins for Bathurst following the Bathurst Visitor Information Centre taking home the gold award at the 2023 NSW Tourism Awards, the Bathurst Heritage Trades Trail winning Silver and the Bathurst Winter Festival bronze. BVIC, as the NSW winner, is a finalist at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards to be held in Darwin on Friday 15 March 2024.
2024 Wotif Aussie Town of the Year Award winners:
- Bendigo, VIC
- Broken Hill, NSW
- Stanthorpe, QLD
- Katherine, NT
- Bathurst, NSW
- Tanunda, SA
- Griffith, NSW
- Stanley, TAS
- Exmouth, WA
- Coober Pedy, SA.
ENDS
Media contact: Corinne Boer Media and Communications Officer P: 6333 6179
M: 0448 685 340 E: corinne.boer@bathurst.nsw.gov.au