Night shot at the 2013 RACV Energy Breakthrough

The RACV Energy Breakthrough has won Bronze at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in the Festival and Events category during a gala ceremony at Luna Park in Sydney last Friday night.

For the team behind the ‘breakthrough, it’s further confirmation that this unique event is having huge tourism impacts beyond the core educational foundations upon which it is built. The event also provides a major boost to the region’s economy each year.

The national tourism awards sees each of the state and territory winners – of which the RACV Energy Breakthrough was announced as the Victorian winner last November – pitted against each other.

Central Goldfields Shire Tourism Manager, Joel Chadwick, was at the awards event and said the bronze award was an excellent result.

“To be recognised on a national scale for a regional event that is held in the middle of Victoria is fantastic,” he said.

The winner of the category was the Kings Park Festival held in Perth in Western Australia, with the Deni Blues and Roots Festival in New South Wales taking home the silver.

“To be on the podium in a category where the winner is in a capital city is fantastic.” Joel continued. “It’s putting us on the map at a national level.”

“This recognition proves how successful the event is in the community and all the volunteer work that goes into it,” Joel said. “It’s recognition for the volunteers.” There is an army of 600 volunteers who held make the Energy Breakthrough happen each year. (Want to be one of them?).

Visit the Australian Tourism Award website: http://australiantourismawards.com.au/