![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/TA_WildlifeWonders__40761.jpg\")
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Wildlife Wonders co-founder Lizzie Corke said the wins reflected how the ecotourism attraction engaged people with nature and invested all proceeds in conservation.<\/p>\n
“The experience introduces people to animals they have never seen before and are unlikely to see in the wild, such as potoroos and bandicoots, and shares the story of how the Conservation Ecology Centre is working to protect these species across the Otways.<\/p>\n
“Through this social enterprise model, every visitor to Wildlife Wonders becomes part of something bigger \u2013 the sale of every ticket helps support the research and conservation efforts, which are vital for protecting nature and wildlife.”<\/p>\n
Elsewhere on the Surf Coast, Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism was a highly commended finalist in the Tourism Marketing and Campaigns category for its 52 Great Weekends campaign, and Torquay-founded Blackman’s Brewery was a finalist in the Tourism Wineries, Distilleries & Breweries category.<\/p>\n Other local category award winners and finalists were:<\/p>\n Tourist Attractions \u2013 Gold, Adventure Park Geelong<\/p>\n Major Festivals and Events \u2013 Silver, Foo Fighters concert presented by Always Live and Frontier Touring at Kardinia Park<\/p>\n Festivals and Events \u2013 Silver, Adventure Park’s Winter Glow Festival<\/p>\n Cultural Tourism \u2013 Gold, Geelong Gallery<\/p>\n Major Tour and Transport Operators \u2013 Gold, Searoad Ferries<\/p>\n Tourism Marketing and Campaigns \u2013 Bronze, Tourism Greater Geelong & the Bellarine<\/p>\n New Tourism Business \u2013 Finalist, Splatters Cheese Bar<\/p>\n Self Contained Accommodation \u2013 Gold, The Woods Ocean Grove<\/p>\n Tourism Education and Training \u2013 Gold, Tourism Greater Geelong & the Bellarine<\/p>\n Excellence in Accessible Tourism \u2013 Silver, Accessible Accommodation.<\/p>\n VTIC held the ceremony for the Victorian Tourism Awards on Thursday last week, and chief executive Felicia Mariani said the initiative showcased some of the most compelling experiences in Victorian tourism.<\/p>\n “Over 950 tourism and events operators came together last night to acknowledge and celebrate the efforts of their teams and the industry as a whole.<\/p>\n “VTIC is proud to deliver such an important event for our industry, that highlights the innovation, passion, and professionalism that our operators exhibit every day in creating magical moments for their visitors.<\/p>\n “We congratulate all our Gold, Silver and Bronze category winners, along with all of this year’s finalists, who represent the exemplars across Victoria in delivering excellence to their guests.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" TOURISM attractions and services from across the Geelong region are among the top winners in this year’s Victorian Tourism Awards. Hosted annually by the Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC), the awards honour business excellence and performance within the industry. This year, 111 submissions were made, all vying for an award across 31 various categories. In […]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/BlackmansBrewery_66550.jpg\")