2025 adventure tourism Award winners & finalists

Adventure Queensland (AQ) is thrilled to celebrate the winners of the 2025 Adventure Tourism Awards—now proudly marking its fifth year as the industry’s premier, industry-led awards program.

At the Youth and Adventure Tourism Industry’s Night of Nights on the Gold Coast, operators from across Australia and New Zealand—both boutique and large-scale—were recognised for their innovation, resilience, and contribution to the tourism sector across 12 award categories.

First launched by Adventure Queensland (AQ), the peak body for backpacking and independent travel in Queensland, the awards were created to strengthen collaboration and recognise excellence within the youth tourism sector across both countries. With the support and involvement of Youth Tourism NSW (YTNSW), Youth Tourism Victoria, the Backpacker Youth and Adventure Tourism Association NZ (BYATA), and the Backpacker Youth Tourism Advisory Panel (BYTAP), the Adventure Tourism Awards have grown into a truly trans-Tasman industry celebration.

Adventure Queensland President, Peta Zietsch, expressed her delight at welcoming more than 270 industry professionals to the Gold Coast for this year’s event.

“It is so important to formally recognise the outstanding tourism experiences, people and places that make this industry so special. This year’s awards were elevated further through the combination of consumer voting and our expert judging panel. Congratulations to all finalists and winners. Your passion and commitment to the youth and adventure tourism sector shines through in everything you do, and your recognition tonight is incredibly well deserved.”

2025 Adventure Tourism Awards Winners – Australia and New Zealand