Nominations are now open!

TICT is proud to launch the inaugural Tassie Tour Guide Award to run alongside Tassie’s Top Towns Awards in 2025, with both feeding into the national program administered by the Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC).

This award acknowledges exemplary tour guides in Tasmania and raises the profile of the tour guiding sector for our State, recognising the significant contribution quality tour guides make in providing memorable experiences to visitors. Eligibility includes tour guides and driver guides working in the natural, cultural, and heritage environments, in either a paid or volunteer capacity.

The process requires operators to nominate a guide, the guide then provides a written submission (up to 5000 words) addressing set criteria, followed by an online interview with three independent judges. The written submission and interview hold equal weighting. An Entrant Support Program will be provided by TICT to assist nominees prepare their entry. Participation is optional, but free for all nominees.

The Tassie Tour Guide Award winner will be announced at the 2025 Tasmanian Tourism Conference in Launceston (July 1 & 2), with Award finalists receiving a 50% discount on full conference registrations. The winner will go on to represent Tasmania as a finalist in Australia’s Top Tour Guide Awards at Parliament House in Canberra - all whilst raising the profile of our outstanding Tasmanian tour guides.

Western Australia has been running its Guide Awards for many years, with previous winner Marielle Sengers commenting, 'Participating in the program has challenged me to think about my style of tour guiding and encouraged me to dig deeper, strive for excellence and shoot for the stars. I can highly recommend participating in the awards program as it will make you look at what you do more professionally and challenge you to be the best you can be.'

Key Dates 2025

• Online Information Session Monday 7 April (register here)
• Nominations Close Wednesday 23 April
• Submissions Close Wednesday 21 May
• Interviews (online) 10 - 12 June (TBC)
• Winners Announced 1 July, Tasmanian Tourism Conference, Launceston
• Australia's Top Tour Guide Award Winner Announced 10 September, Parliament House, Canberra

Entry Requirements

• Eligibility includes tour guides and driver guides working in the natural, cultural and heritage environments, in either a paid or volunteer capacity.
• The nominee must be an employee or volunteer of a business holding current Sustainable Tourism Accreditation.
• Nominations are made through the Quality Tourism Framework (QTF) portal. A nomination should be made under the account of the business the nominee is employed by, although the nomination can be made by the nominee or someone else within the same company.
• There is a nomination fee of $79 to enter this category.
• A written submission addressing set criteria must be completed in the QTF portal by the close date. All finalists will then undertake an online interview with the panel of judges - questions will be provided in advance.

Judging Process

The judging process will be overseen by the state/territory Chair of Judges. There are two components to the judging process that will determine each entrant's overall score:

1. Submission Review - a panel of three experienced judges will review the written submission and score individually. These scores will be combined and averaged to determine the submission score. The submission review is worth 50% of the total score available.
2. Interview - finalists will be required to attend an online interview (approx. 30 minutes) with the judging panel. All finalists will be asked the same set of questions, which will be provided in advance. The interview is worth 50% of the total score available.

Why Enter

• Recognise excellence - nominees receive recognition for their outstanding performance within the Tasmanian guiding sector and contribution to the Tasmanian tourism industry.
• Benchmarking opportunity - nominees will be measured against a benchmark, fostering personal development and growth.
• Receive actionable feedback - nominees will be provided with valuable and in-depth feedback through the optional Entrant Support Program and by experienced judges who are industry leaders, driving self-improvement to benefit both the nominee and their employer.
• Build business morale and showcase commitment to quality tourism experiences - the awards provide tourism business owners and operators the opportunity to make their staff feel valued and appreciated, with nominees able to publicly showcase their commitment to providing a high-quality tourism experience.
• Self-reflection - the nomination process promotes self-reflection for the role the individual plays within both the guiding community, and broader Tasmanian tourism industry.

ENTRANT GUIDELINES AND RULES

Please see below guidelines to support nominees with their entry for the Tassie Tour Guide Award, including rules and entry requirements for their submission:

More information

NOMINATE AN OUTSTANDING GUIDE

Nominations and submissions must be made via the Quality Tourism Framework online portal.

For more information or help with submitting your nomination, contact Larni.Davies@tict.com.au