Victoria’s top tourism towns and tour guide for 2026

News

Published: 17 August 2026

Victoria’s top tourism towns for 2026 have been announced, with Echuca, Portarlington and Portsea taking out the state’s top honours.

Presented by the Victorian Tourism Industry Council, the awards recognise towns that deliver great visitor experiences and strong local collaboration. This year, 22 finalist destinations competed across 3 categories.

The winners were announced at the Victorian Tourism Conference at the Morwell Convention and Reception Centre in Gippsland.

This year’s awards attracted 30,000 public votes and were decided through a mix of public voting and independent judging. Judges assessed each town’s appeal to visitors, tourism excellence and how well it works with local businesses and the wider community.

Victoria’s 3 gold winners will now represent the state at the Australian Top Tourism Town Awards in Canberra at Parliament House in September 2026.

Top Tourism Town

For towns with a population over 5,000:

Gold - Echuca (Campaspe Shire Council)
Silver - Bendigo (City of Greater Bendigo)
Bronze - Ballarat (Botanical Gardens Information Centre).

Aerial view of the Murray River in Echuca, Australia, showing historic paddle steamers docked alongside a wooden wharf. Lush trees line the riverbank under a partly cloudy sky.

Top Small Tourism Town

For towns with a population between 1,500 and 5,000:

Gold - Portarlington (Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine)
Silver - Port Fairy (Port Fairy and Region Visitor Information Centre)
Bronze - Camperdown (Port Campbell Visitor Information Centre).

Aerial view of Port Fairy in Victoria, Australia, showcasing a marina with multiple boats docked along piers. The town is visible in the background with a coastline stretching out under a clear blue sky.

Top Tiny Tourism Town

For towns with a population under 1,500:

Gold - Portsea (Mornington Peninsula Shire Council)
Silver - Glenrowan (Ned Kelly Discovery Hub)
Bronze - Port Campbell (Port Campbell Visitor Information Centre).

A scenic view of a wooden pier extending into the calm, blue waters of Portsea Pier. The sky is clear with a few clouds, and a small peninsula with trees is visible in the distance.

Victoria's Top Tour Guide

This year's awards also celebrated Victoria's tour guides. Nine guides were nominated, with Jools De Loryn from Go West Tours taking home gold.

Jools de Loryn has been a tour guide with Go West Tours for the past 3 years. Drawing on a 25-year hospitality career, she combines warmth, authenticity, and a passion for connecting with people to deliver engaging experiences for visitors exploring Melbourne and Victoria.

Tourism is one of Victoria’s strongest economic drivers contributing $48.6 billion to the Victorian economy in 2025-26, and supporting more than 322,000 jobs and almost 110,000 tourism businesses.

Congratulations to all the winning towns, tourism operators, guides, volunteers and local businesses helping visitors enjoy the best of regional Victoria.

Learn more about the Australia's Top Tourism Town & Top Tour Guide Awards on their website.