Tasmania has eclipsed all other jurisdictions and had one of its best ever hauls at this year's national tourism awards ceremony, ahead of what's expected to be a "difficult" few months for the industry.
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The state's tourism operators picked up a total of 17 awards - seven golds, seven silvers and three bronzes - beating out all other states and territories at the Australian Tourism Awards on Friday night.
The Port Arthur Historic Site won the gold award in the coveted Major Tourism Attractions category, while the Launceston Airport received a silver gong in the Specialised Tourism Services category.
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Premier and Tourism Minister Peter Gutwein, who attended the ceremony in Canberra, said he'd "never been prouder to be Tasmanian".
"It was a fantastic night for Tasmania and ... important recognition of the hard work of many people over a long period of time, the dedication of the owners and their staff to ensure that we put forward a fantastic tourism product," he said.
In the New Tourism Business category, Launceston restaurant Stillwater, and its accommodation offering Stillwater SEVEN, won silver.
Co-owner and sommelier James Welsh said he was "thrilled" that the business was "punching above our weight on the national stage".
"What makes us unique is [that we] support our local suppliers and producers," he said.
"The Tasmanian brand and Tasmanian products are well sought after and [do] make us unique."
In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, and following the horrific summer bushfires, the national tourism industry is bracing for a challenging year ahead.
Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin said the state's strong performance on Friday night would serve to buoy the local industry during a troubling period.
"The next six-to-twelve months are going to be quite difficult, I suspect," he said.
"For us to come out and be the star of the night and have products that are really representative of our brand ... being recognised on a national scale, it's just perfect timing."
Small Business, Hospitality and Events Minister Sarah Courtney said she would this week be writing to key industry stakeholders to convene a tourism roundtable which she said would develop a "coordinated response" to the challenges ahead.
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