2023 CATEGORIES
2023 AWARDS CLOSED*
FOURTEEN categories recognising government, private and not-for-profit organisations that service the mature age tourism sector within Australia.
Who should enter?
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Councils / Local Government Authorities (caravan parks, RV sites and trails)
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Caravan and tourist parks, small and big
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National parks, state forest and water authorities with camp sites
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Sports and service clubs offering RV sites
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NFP organisations offering RV sites, such as museums and progress associations
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Farms, stations, wineries and distilleries with RV sites
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Showgrounds offering sites and running events that attract Grey Nomads
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Festival organisers that target Grey Nomads
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Attractions and tour operators.
Success in one of the Grey Nomad Awards’ categories will bring you more business:
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More visitors and more spend into successful towns and regions
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More bookings for caravan parks, clubs, farms, pubs and businesses that provide spaces and experiences so mature-aged visitors stay longer
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More income for attractions and tour operators that target the Grey Nomad sector
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More festival goers for regional events.
* Except Best Grey Nomad Pub Stay RTO nominations, which will fold into a Public Voting round.
Best Grey Nomad
Small Caravan Park
Do you deserve national recognition for your private or Council-owned caravan park with up to 75 RV sites (excluding any cabins, glamping tents or villas)? If so, then 2023 is your time to shine. The sites can be any mix of powered and non-powered sites, or all powered sites.
Best Grey Nomad
Large Caravan Park
Are you THE place to stay in your area? If so, and you are a private or Council-owned caravan park with more than 75 RV sites (excluding any cabins, glamping tents or villas) then this is the accolade for you. The sites can be any mix of powered and non-powered sites, or all powered sites.
NEW Best Grey Nomad Friendly Town
Is your town a must stay and play place for mature-age travellers? Back by popular public demand, simply tell us why you are a cracker town to enter and showcase your destination. Open to Councils, local and regional tourism organisations, business chambers, progress associations and other groups with a charter to promote the nominating town, which must have fewer than 100,000 residents.
Best Grey Nomad
Farm or Station Stay
Nothing beats camping out under our brilliant Southern Cross, but how can RV travellers choose you over other places? If you are a farm, hobby farm, station, large rural property, rural distillery or winery that provides RV camping within your property boundaries, then these Awards are your way to stand out. The sites can be powered, non-powered or a mix.
Best Grey Nomad
Community Stay
Communities work hard to attract visitors and we want to say 'thanks' through this Award. This is open to any community organisation or not-for-profit, including sporting clubs, services clubs, progress associations, museums, show societies or recreation groups, that provide RV camping at a property or campground under their administration or for which they receive funds or donations. The sites can be powered, non-powered or a mix, plus free, free with meal or user-pays.
Best Grey Nomad
Freedom Stay
For many travellers, the ability to choose where to park up sometimes is a big bonus. That is why this award is for any type of stay where RV travellers are given the freedom to choose their own campsite and therefore spaces / sites are not allocated. The campground, RV park, caravan park or farm / station stay can be operated by a private, public or not-for-profit organisation. The sites can be user-pays, donation or completely free.
Best Grey Nomad
Dog-Friendly Stay
A whopping 35 percent of mature-age travellers take Fido along for the drive. That makes this sub-segment a very important one for regional and rural economies. So this Award is for any type of place or space where RV visitors travelling with a dog can stay. It includes any type of campground, RV park, caravan park or farm / station stay operated by a private, public, government or not-for-profit organisation.
Best Grey Nomad
Attraction
Do you want more senior travellers visiting your attraction? A tourist attraction is a permanent place deriving all or part of its income (if any) from visitors and which operates with visitor attraction as one of its primary objectives. This could include, but is not limited to, places of art, history, science, agriculture, nature, culture, and entertainment. It would also include theme parks, zoos, aquariums, visitor centres, wineries, and food tourism businesses.
Best Grey Nomad
Historic Attraction
Do you deserve recognition for your attraction which showcases some historic aspect of your destination, Australia or a sector? This award is open to attractions that provide a historic experience or an experience from an historic perspective. A tourist attraction is a permanent place deriving all or part of its income (if any) from visitors and which operates with visitor attraction as one of its primary objectives. This could include, but is not limited to, museums, historic villages, heritage precincts and historic reconstructions.
Best Grey Nomad
Tour
Let the good times roll when you are rewarded for your awesome experience. A tour is a guided experience of any duration which is provided free or ticketed and is open to the public. The tour must have run one or more times in the eligibility period of 1 Nov 2022 to I November 2023. Tours can include, but are not limited to, guided walking, boat, train, scuba, coach. Tours may occur day or night.
Best Grey Nomad
Trail
Gain national recognition for the epic visitor trail that your town or region offers. A trail is any self-guided experience of any length of time which is provided in a map, app or other format in which the public can follow to experience the trail. Walking, biking or self-drive trails are eligible, including town heritage trails, art trails, country drive trails, food trails, and wine trails.
NEW Best Grey Nomad
Foodie Experience
Can you taste the success? If you offer an epic food-centred experience for travellers, then this is where you will gain national exposure. Entries open to all types of food experiences that cater to mature-age visitors, including food tours and attractions, providores, farm gate experiences, food trails, paddock-to-plate and trawler-to-table offerings, farmers markets, cooking schools, pub experiences, themed restaurants, brilliant bakeries and all places that offer an exceptional feed. You do NOT need to offer RV camping.
Best Grey Nomad
Pub Stay
NEW VOTING PROCESS
We want to find and reward the best country pub that provides a cracker experience for RV travellers. In 2023 we will be partnering with other organisations to identify short-listed pubs and then the public will vote to identify the winners. While camping does NOT need to be within the property boundary, there must be RV camping available within 500 metres.
Get ready Australia, it will be a fiercely fought competition!
Best Grey Nomad
Festival or Event
It will be time for you to party when you step onto the winners' stage to accept accolades as the Best Festival or Event in the country for mature-age visitors. A festival or event which was free or ticketed, one-day or multi-day, open to the public and held in the eligibility period – between Nov 2022 and Nov 2023. The event could be held at any time interval or have been a one-off celebration.
