Tasmanian Walking Co win seventh gold in eco-tourism awards

Tasmanian Walking Co general manager Heath Garratt said it was an honour for the company to be consistently recognised for their commitment to eco-tourism.

"It's always very exciting to get that sort of acknowledgement," he said. "I mean, we were super passionate about Tasmania and also obviously, very passionate about ecotourism.

"To win the Tasmanian tourism award in that category is quite a big honour."

READ MORE: Four LGH nurses fired forcing bed closures

Tasmanian Walking Co was one of six Northern businesses, and three outdoor tourism operators, including Blue Derby Pods Ride and wukalina Walk, to be recognised at the awards.

Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin, said the results highlighted the resilience of Tasmania's tourism operators through two of the most difficult years the industry had ever faced.

"The Blue Derby Pods Ride, wukalina Walk and Tasmanian Walking Co deliver some of the finest outdoor tourism experiences found anywhere in Australia, enabling visitors to experience the spectacular North-East environment in very different but authentic and uniquely Tasmanian ways," he said.

READ MORE: Men avoid jail over 'sickening' city attack

Mr Garratt said the business, which employed 30 full-time staff and more than 100 casuals, had been buoyed by domestic visitorship and customers while the state borders were closed.

"Fortunately, we had quite a few Tassie guests over the past few months because the Victorians and New South Wales people couldn't come to us," he said.

"It's great that we had the Tassie mob on so many of our trips," he said.

READ MORE: Star athletes steal the show at Junior Sport Awards

Tourism, Hospitality and Events Minister Sarah Courtney congratulated all the award winners and reiterated the challenges of the past 18 months.

"The last 18 months have been some of the most difficult for our visitor economy, and I am in awe of the resilience and determination shown by those in the tourism industry to overcome these challenges," she said.

READ MORE: Tasmania on path to establish container refund scheme

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:

Follow us on Google News: The Examiner