2025 Award Categories

1. Tourist Attractions

This category recognises natural or built attractions that people visit for pleasure and interest.
Entrants in this category attract amongst the highest visitor numbers during the qualifying period for their State/Territory. Major Tourist Attractions would see over 100,001 annual visitors to the attraction.

2. Festivals & Events

This category recognises tourism leisure festivals, events and exhibitions that enhance the profile/awareness and appeal of the destination they are held in as well as creating economic impact, increased visitation and community involvement.

3. Award for Ecotourism

This category recognises ecologically sustainable tourism businesses with a primary focus on experiencing natural areas. Entrants in this category foster environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation, and conservation.

4. Tourism Retail, Hire and Services

This category recognises businesses that sell/provide goods or hire services which contribute to the tourism industry. The contribution made to the tourism industry can be economical (e.g. retail, galleries), experience based (traditionally non-tourism specific experiences e.g. shopping precincts) or service based (e.g. digital solutions for travellers or tourism businesses).

5. Business Event Venues

This category recognises venues who provide high quality facilities specifically designed for business visitors e.g. meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions.

6. Tour and Transport Operators

This category recognises a business who makes a major contribution in the combined provision of touring and transport services. This category is open to businesses with fewer than 15 annual full-time equivalent employees.

7. Adventure Tourism

This category recognises outdoor adventure tourism experiences that involve visitor participation and a personal challenge.

8. Tourism Restaurants and Catering Services

This category recognises all restaurants and catering services offering a tourism experience and/or servicing the tourism industry. It is not a food award but does recognise a significant contribution to tourism through the provision of food and beverage. This category is open to hotel or stand-alone restaurants, event caterers, pubs and cafés.

9. Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries

This category recognises wineries, distilleries and boutique breweries that offer a cellar door experience and create a significant contribution to tourism.

10. Caravan and Holiday Parks

This category recognises tourism excellence in a caravan or holiday park. The focus of this award is on both the facilities and services that enhance the tourism experience. This category is open to caravan or holiday parks that offer cabin and tenting accommodation and must meet a 3 – 5 Caravan & Holiday Park Star Rating Standard.

11. Hosted Accommodation

This category recognises hosted accommodation that offers a bed & breakfast, farm stay, cottage or other intimate accommodation experience and must meet a 3-5 Hosted Accommodation Star Rating Standard. Serviced apartments, hotels and resorts should consider entry into one of categories 21-24 which best fit their product. For companies that are managing multiple self-contained properties they should focus on one of their properties.

12. Unique Accommodation

This category recognises tourism excellence in accommodation providing a unique tourism experience that includes an overnight accommodation experience with an included activity. The focus of this award is on the uniqueness of the tourism experience. This category is open to properties developed around unconventional accommodation infrastructure that includes an activity (passive or active). Entry is open – but not limited to – tented holidays, houseboats, tree houses, underground accommodation and yacht charters.

13. Self-Contained Accommodation

This category recognises tourism excellence in accommodation providing guests with non-serviced accommodation and the freedom of self-sufficiency. The focus of this award is on both the facilities and services that enhance the tourism experience. This category is open to accommodation that offers a self-catered accommodation experience and meets a 3-5 Self Catering Accommodation Star Rating Standard. For companies that are managing multiple self-contained properties it is recommended they focus on one of their properties.

14. Standard Accommodation

This category recognises serviced accommodation that meets the 3-3.5 Star Rating standard (pre-assessment or final rating). The focus of this award is on both the facilities and services that enhance the tourism experience. This category is open to accommodation experiences that meets a 3 to 3.5 Star Rating Standard in any Star Rating category.

15. Deluxe Accommodation

This category recognises serviced accommodation that meets the 4 or 4.5 Star Rating Standard (pre- assessment or final rating). The focus of this award is on both the facilities and services that enhance the tourism experience. This category is open to accommodation experiences that meets a 4 or 4.5 Star Rating Standard in any Star Rating category.

16. New Tourism Business

This category recognises new tourism businesses that have commenced trading, visitation, or service delivery during the qualifying period. This award recognises excellence in the planning and development of new tourism infrastructure and/or services. Existing tourism businesses that have commenced a new product or opened new infrastructure need to enter another category most applicable to the business.

17. Excellence in Food Tourism

This category is open to food producers, providores, tour operators, cooking schools, food attractions, farm gate experiences, farmers markets, trails and other food tourism experiences in the State/Territory, featuring the State/Territory produce as the core component.

18. Excellence in Accessible Tourism

This award recognises businesses that provide a product, experience or service that goes above and beyond to accommodate and cater for people with disabilities and/or specific needs e.g. hearing impairment, low vision, limited mobility, wheelchair/scooter needs or cognitive.

Prerequisite: Met the standard for at least one (1) of the five (5) ‘badges’ in the Accessible Tourism program within the Quality Tourism Framework (QTF).

19. Outstanding Contribution by a Volunteer or Volunteer Group

This Award celebrates the strong, ongoing personal commitment made by an individual or team of volunteers who freely give their time and skill, contributing to the professionalism of our industry and the positive image of tourism in Queensland.

20. Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual 

This award recognises the extraordinary personal and professional achievement and contribution by an individual over many years to the Mackay Isaac tourism industry.

21 & 22. People's Choice Awards (Accommodation and Experience/Services)

Entrants in the 2025 Mackay Isaac Tourism Awards categories 1 – 18, will automatically be entered into the People’s Choice Awards under one of two segments: Experiences and Services, or Accommodation. Voting will be open to the public. No submission required and no site visit required.

This category will be completely independent from the judging process and will come down to consumer choice – tourism operators will be able to connect with visitors and followers to encourage them to vote. Voting will be managed by Mackay Isaac Tourism.

A Gold winner will be announced for both segments based on the highest number of votes they each receive. Voting will open in early September, after submissions have closed.

Entrants will be provided with a marketing toolkit to assist in the promotion of voting.