The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney wins bronze at the Australian Tourism Awards

The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney was named bronze in the Major Tourist Attraction of the year category at last night’s Australian Tourism Awards in Perth.  The win celebrates the Garden’s exceptional growth and outstanding achievement over the past 12 months.

Our Executive Director, Kim Ellis accepted the award last night so we caught up with him this morning to talk about this outstanding industry recognition. “Our team’s significant achievements over the past year was the culmination of three years’ work focussed upon improving our visitor experience" says Kim. 
 

"The Garden marked its 200th birthday in 2016 with action packed celebrations, introducing Vivid Sydney to the Garden, which drew a record-breaking 5.2 million visitors that year. We have since supported our growth with new major events, ongoing community programs, driving digital engagement through our recently launched app, infrastructure upgrades like free Wi-Fi for visitors and hi-tech Smart Nodes that offer a range of benefits.”

To win this prestigious award the Garden first had to win the NSW Tourism Award for Major Tourist Attractions which was assessed against criteria including safety, customer service, quality, business planning, marketing, sustainability, and our commitment to tourism excellence and involvement in the tourism industry.
 
Founded by Governor Macquarie in 1816, the Garden has endured to become the oldest botanic garden and oldest living scientific institution in the country. Today it is an oasis of lush lawns, specialty gardens, heritage buildings and natural beauty in the heart of the city, along with the picture-perfect harbour, Opera House and Harbour Bridge – is part of a family of must-see attractions for visitors to Sydney.