The RACV Energy Breakthrough has been announced as the winner of 2013 RACV Victorian Tourism Award for Festivals and Events. The announcement was made at a gala ceremony at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Monday, November 11, 2013.
The Energy Breakthrough was in a close battle with the Club Marine Southern 80 Ski Race, an event which also enjoys a long tradition of boosting tourism in regional Victoria. The Southern 80’s submission scored over 75 points out of 100 and as such was recognised as a ‘Finalist’ in the category.
The Awards submission was led by the Central Goldfields Shire Council team, Martin Mark and Alisha Chadwick, with input from the events executive team and event partners.
Martin Mark, Local Planning Coordinator for the event and also Recreation Manager for the Central Goldfields Shire Council, was elated with the result:
“The Central Goldfields Shire Council is delighted to host this fantastic event in Maryborough each year, it’s benefits to the local economy and community cannot be underestimated. We are proud to be known as the ‘Home’ of the RACV Energy Breakthrough, and even prouder to win the 2013 RACV Victorian Tourism Award for Festivals & Events.”
The RACV’s Ernest Litera, who has been involved in the Energy Breakthrough program for more than 20 years, reflected on how the event has significant benefits outside of it’s core aims:
“Whilst we’re focusing on educating students about the future of motoring and preparing them to be young drivers, people are drawn to Maryborough to cheer these students on. We’re really encouraged that this interesting and entertaining education activity has grown into a tourism event in it’s own right.”
The impact:
The award is a wonderful recognition of the many benefits the Energy Breakthrough delivers to Maryborough each year, in partnership with the local community.
For the record, the Energy Breakthrough attracted over 21,000 visitors to the 2012 event and accounts for more than 19% of the annual tourism visits to the region, with 61.8% of visitors intending to return in the future.
This event is the most important feature on the Central Goldfields tourism calendar and injects over $4.4 million into the local economy and becoming the major catalyst for event-based tourism in the area.
The RACV Energy Breakthrough will now progress to the Australian Tourism Awards which will be held in Sydney in February next year.
Pictured: (L-R) Ernest Litera (RACV), Daniel McLinden (CGSC), Martin Mark (Central Goldfields Shire Council – CGSC), Nigel Preston (Country Education Project – CEP), Cr Barry Rinaldi (Mayor, Central Goldfields Shire), Michael Case (RACV), Alisha Chadwick (CGSC), John Stafford (CEP), Joel Chadwick (CGSC). This image is an official photograph from the Victorian Tourism Awards.
Visit the Victorian Tourism Awards website for more information:
http://www.victoriantourismawards.com.au
