Australia & New Zealand
Adventure Tourism Awards & Conference

Australia and New Zealand’s youth and adventure travel industry’s biggest celebration is back!

Join us for two incredible days as we reconnect, learn, and honour the most outstanding tourism experiences, operators, and individuals across our vibrant sector.

Hosted by Adventure Queensland, the Youth Tourism Conference & Adventure Tourism Awards have become the premier platform for recognising excellence and fostering collaboration across the backpacking and independent travel industries.

Wednesday 5 November – Welcome Networking Night

Ease into the action with a casual evening of networking, drinks, and reconnecting with your industry peers. It’s the perfect opportunity to forge new connections and catch up with familiar faces before the main event.

Thursday 6 November – Youth Tourism Conference

A full-day event featuring panels, keynote presentations, and deep dives into the future of youth and adventure tourism in Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. Learn from leaders and innovators as we explore emerging trends, market data, sustainability, and tech-driven opportunities.

Thursday 6 November – Adventure Tourism Awards

Celebrate the best of the best at the highly anticipated Adventure Tourism Awards gala dinner. Enjoy a night of glitz, glamour, and recognition as we spotlight the incredible people and businesses shaping the future of youth tourism.

Nominations NOW OPEN

Think your business or team deserves the spotlight? We’re calling on Adventure Tour Operators, Hostels and Travel Agents across Australia and New Zealand to enter the 2025 Adventure Tourism Awards and share your success story.

Whether you’re a rising star, a sustainability leader, or a long-standing legend—this is your chance to be recognised on a national stage.

Sponsor the Event

Align your brand with innovation, leadership, and the future of youth and adventure tourism. Sponsoring the Youth Tourism Conference and Adventure Tourism Awards is a unique opportunity to:

Gain visibility with key decision-makers and industry leaders
Demonstrate your support for sustainable and youth-focused tourism
Build lasting relationships and brand awareness within the community

Let’s build a stronger future together.

Buy Tickets

Testimonials

“We are delighted to once again be bringing the Adventure Tourism Awards and Youth Tourism Conference to the Gold Coast. After tremendous feedback on the event last year it’s hugely exciting to once again showcase the incredible range of business that support and champion our sector, and the regions they represent. With an exciting lineup of speakers to be announced soon and what promises to be our largest awards ever in terms of attendees and nominations, our industry’s showpiece event continues to grow, not only celebrating our sector but collaborating on the challenges we all face.”

2025 ~ Tommy Leiper / Vice Chair of AQ

“There’s nothing like the Adventure Tourism Awards and Youth Tourism Conference to bring our industry together—and the Adventure Queensland Board supported by our industry partners always deliver. With Working Holiday Maker arrivals hitting their highest levels, it’s time to shift gears and look into the future. This event is our chance to keep pushing our industry forward, recognise who’s leading the way and celebrate what’s possible.”

Peta Zietsch / Chairperson Backpacker & Youth Tourism Advisory Panel (BYTAP)