Balloons completing competition task during the 2014 Canowindra Balloon Challenge
The 2014 Inland Tourism Awards in Griffith on Saturday evening, 26th July saw Canowindra take the winning medal in its category. This is the first time Griffith has hosted the annual regional award, which acknowledges excellence in tourism in the four regional NSW areas; Central, Inland, Murray and Riverina.
People travelled from as far as Victoria to find out which of the finalists would take home the award at the Griffith Ex-Serviceman’s Club. The theme for the Awards dinner was a “gondola journey masquerade party” which created some fantastic outfits and masks. Canowindra even managed to triumph over Tamworth’s famous Country Music Festival, showing just what a great event the Balloon Challenge is.
The winners from the night are now able to compete for a finalist position at the NSW Tourism Awards, which will be held in Sydney in November. This year some of the finalists were so close in marks that silver and bronze awards were also given. “It is exciting. This is a big tourism event and we urge locals to get behind it,” Christine Stead, the Tourism Committee Chairwoman for Griffith, said about the occasion.
We would like to congratulate Canowindra Balloon Challenge on their award and for their contribution to regional tourism.