The Scenic Rim’s reputation as a leading destination for food tourism was reaffirmed at the 2022 Queensland Tourism Awards on the Gold Coast.
Scenic Rim Regional Council, Media Release, 5 November 2022
Winning a silver award for Excellence in Food Tourism, the region has added to this year’s accolades after being named as Best in Travel 2022 by the Lonely Planet guide and the Scenic Rim’s Tamborine Mountain taking the title of Top Tourism Town in Queensland in June.
As another coup for the region, the win follows the Scenic Rim’s Gold Award in Destination Marketing at the 2021 Queensland Tourism Awards for its Richest Place on Earth, in Australia campaign.
Scenic Rim Mayor Greg Christensen said the latest award recognised the strong partnership between Council and local tourism operators, whose efforts have made the region one of Australia’s premier food bowls.
“The region is home to many generational farming families as well as a host of passionate entrepreneurs who have chosen the Scenic Rim to pursue their enthusiasm for food tourism and agritourism,” he said.
“Some have set up organic farms, established wineries and craft breweries, launched innovative food products, or embraced agritourism concepts delivering unique experiences for visitors.
“The cornucopia of produce includes everything from camel milk cheese to indigenous finger limes, olives, macadamia nuts, award-winning dairy products and organic coffee.”
A key driver of the region’s food tourism success has been Scenic Rim Eat Local Week, which has grown from a small food festival in 2012 to become an annual 10-day celebration of locally produced food and wine, with more than 100 events catering for all tastes and budgets.
Culminating in the signature Winter Harvest Festival at Aratula, featuring more than 60 local producers, Scenic Rim Eat Local Week attracts some 40,000 visitors and injects more than $2 million into the local economy.
A collaborative quarterly event, the Scenic Rim Farm Gate Trail, delivered by member-based local tourism organisation Destination Scenic Rim, sees as many as 30 local producers and makers across the region throwing open their gates to self-drive tourists, with thousands of visitors touring the Scenic Rim and shopping directly from the source.
Renowned for its friendly, relaxed country lifestyle, spectacular natural beauty and award-winning local produce, the Scenic Rim attracts some 1.7 million visitors who contribute more than $215 million to the local economy annually pre-COVID.
“The region’s natural resources management, environmental protection frameworks and enviable food safety standards underpin its reputation for premium food tourism,” Mayor Christensen said.
“The Scenic Rim has something for everyone, from artisan produce to paddock-to-plate culinary offerings and immersive hands-on agritourism experiences.
“It offers many experiences visitors won’t find anywhere else – sipping local sparkling wine in the basket of a hot air balloon, picnicking with alpacas, visiting a working camel, sheep or dairy farm, enjoying a local tipple at breweries, wineries and distilleries or learning about bush tucker on a mountain hike.
“I am proud of the innovation which has contributed to our region’s recognition and its enviable reputation for excellence in food tourism.”
