Held on the Sunshine Coast, Victoria was honoured with five gold, four silver and two bronze awards for 2021.

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Acting Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Mary Anne Thomas said commended the successful local businesses and operators for their resilience and commitment to the sector.

"Victorians are back enjoying the things they love and that includes the best destinations and attractions in the state," she said.

"It is fantastic to see the quality of the Victorian tourism industry recognised and we are backing businesses in this sector to grow and create jobs right across the state."

Bendigo received a silver award in the Visitor Information Services, with the gold going to the Wonders of Wynyard Exhibition and Visitor Information Centre in Tasmaina.

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Leading the way with gold were the Royal Botanic Gardens in the Major Tourist Attractions category, Ballarat Heritage Festival in Festivals and Events, Destination Gippsland for their stunning tourism marketing campaign, Wilsons Promontory Cruises in New Tourism Business and Green Olive in Red Hill for Excellence in Food Tourism.

The Alexandra Hotel in Alexandra was awarded two silver awards for its three-star accommodation and restaurant and catering services, joined by Heytesbury House in Hosted Accommodation.

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Rounding out the Victorian winners were Searoad Ferries for their work as a major tour and transport operators and the Tesselaar Tulip Festival in the Major Festival and Events category.

The Victoria Tourism Industry Council chief executive, Felicia Mariani said the awards recognised and celebrated Victoria's efforts to recover and innovate in difficult circumstances.

"After an impossibly difficult two years, it's incredibly heartening to see so many Victorian businesses and communities rewarded for their mammoth efforts to recover," she said.

'With the challenges the tourism industry has endured since the outbreak of COVID-19, these awards are a testament to the resilience and passion of our sector."

"It's so thrilling to see the tourism sector finally getting back to what we do best - delivering world- class experiences to our customers across every part of the state."

Victoria took home 11 awards in Gold, Silver, and Bronze across the 25 award categories.

A full list of winners can be found here.

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