BIG4 Castlemaine Gardens Holiday Park takes home gold at Victorian Tourism Awards

The team was recognised among a long list of Bendigo winners at the gala event held at the Melbourne Town Hall.

BIG4 Castlemaine owner Claire Height said she was thrilled to win the award.

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"It means so much, especially after the challenges and uncertainties of the pandemic," she said.

"Over the past two years we lost more than 3000 guest nights due to various travel restrictions as well as significant revenue from cancellations.

"It's a testament to the sheer grit of the team and a celebration of our belief in the business and in future growth in the Castlemaine tourism that we not only survived but thrived.

"We've emerged stronger, bigger and with a revitalised and exciting business vision for the park going forward that will continue to bring thousands of new and return visitors to Castlemaine and the region."

Ms Height has undertaken major investment in recent years to expand the accommodation range to include luxury glamping options and family villas.

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Communal facilities, guest services and the park's traditional holiday studios have also been significantly upgraded.

"We'll always welcome our caravanning and camping friends but the move into luxury accommodation has resonated with the COVID travel trend for experience-based tourism where travellers are seeking unique experiences, nature and a country escape," she said.

"Luxury unique tourism accommodation is vital to the long-term success of the local tourism industry and in positioning Castlemaine as a tourism destination. It's also equally important to offer modern, quality caravan site accommodation.

"Our accommodation and camping guests spent a total of 11,405 nights in our park in the 2020-2021 financial year.

"This generated approximately $2.35 million to the local economy in those 12 months, according to a report commissioned by the National Caravan and Camping Industry Body. That benefits a lot of small local businesses."

The Victorian Tourism Awards are hosted annually by the Victorian Tourism Industry Council to honour business excellence and performance within the industry.

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VTIC chief executive Felicia Mariani said the awards showcase some of the most compelling businesses in Victorian tourism.

"This year's celebration feels especially meaningful. We not only look to award operators for their business excellence, but we want to recognise and celebrate the innovation, resilience and commitment they have exhibited to weather the storm of the past two years," she said.

BIG4 Castlemaine will now compete on the national stage with other state tourism award winners at the 2021 Australian Tourism Awards on the Sunshine Coast in March.

"It's so exciting." Ms Height said.

"And of course, it's wonderful to showcase Castlemaine to the tourism industry through the awards."

BIG4 Castlemaine was also the winner of both the 2021 Mt Alexander Shire Business Awards for the Retail and Hospitality Award and the Tourism and Events Award.

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