NSW shines at 2026 Australia’s Top Tourism Town Awards

Sydney By Kayak founder Laura Stone has been named Australia’s Top Tour Guide for 2026 at Australia’s Top Tourism Town Awards.

The accolade follows Sydney By Kayak winning the Excellence in Sustainability and Excellence in Sustainable Tourism and Outstanding Visitor Experience awards at last week’s 2026 Sydney Business Awards.

In addition to being the lead guide for Sydney By Kayak, under Ms Stone’s leadership the business has removed more than 41,000kg of rubbish and raised $98,130 for local conservation, including a Living Seawall in Lavender Bay, a SeaBin in Darling Harbour, local mangrove planting and plastic recycling workshops.

The 2026 Australia’s Top Tourism Town Awards winners were announced by the Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC) at a ceremony in Parliament House, Canberra.

Australia’s Top Tourism Town Awards celebrate the regional towns and tour guides that help shape Australian tourism by delivering outstanding, authentic visitor experiences.

National finalists are determined from the Gold winners of the state and territory Top Tourism Town Awards, bringing together leading destinations and tour guides from across Australia to compete on the national stage.

The four award categories include Top Tourism Town (population over 5000), Small Tourism Town (population between 1500 and 5000), Tiny Tourism Town (population under 1500) and Top Tour Guide.

Kiama won Silver in the Top Tourism Town category, while Gulgong won Silver in the Small Tourism Town category.

The 2026 Australia’s Top Tourism Town Awards were proudly supported by Qantas, Tourism Australia, Localis and Tour Guides Australia.

Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell said: “Today is about celebrating the passion, commitment, and resilience across our tourism industry and recognising the people, places, businesses and communities who turn destinations into memorable experiences.

“We are fortunate in Australia to have extraordinary stories and experiences in every corner of the country, especially in regional communities where nature, culture, heritage, local knowledge and people that create lasting memories for visitors.

“The towns nominated today showcase the breadth and diversity of our tourism offering and reward the visitors who choose to venture further and discover the regions that help make Australia so unique.”

Tourism Australia Managing Director Robin Mack said: “Regional tourism is a vital pillar of the visitor economy. It creates local businesses, delivers local jobs and supports thriving communities.

“Tourism Australia's marketing works to showcase the amazing breadth of experiences we have to offer in regional Australia, encouraging visitors to look beyond our gateway cities.

“Australia’s Top Tourism Town Awards is a great celebration of regional Australia and the tour guides who deliver exceptional experiences, sharing their knowledge and passion in ways that can offer visitors a new perspective on a place and create lasting memories.”

Australia’s Top Tourism Town Awards form part of the Quality Tourism Framework, a national suite of accreditation programs, awards and business development tools supporting tourism businesses and destinations across Australia to strengthen the quality, accessibility and sustainability of their visitor experiences.

For more information about the awards and the 2026 winners and finalists, click here.

Top Tourism Town

Gold: Stanthorpe, Queensland
Silver: Kiama, NSW
Bronze: Echuca, Victoria

Small Tourism Town

Gold: Airlie Beach, Queensland
Silver: Gulgong, NSW
Bronze: Portarlington, Victoria

Tiny Tourism Town

Gold: Portsea, Victoria
Silver: Toogoolawah, Queensland
Bronze: Port Arthur, Tasmania

Top Tour Guide

Gold: Laura Stone – Sydney By Kayak, NSW
Silver:Jools De Loryn – Go West Tours, Victoria
Bronze: Angie Ouyang – National Museum of Australia, Canberra Region