Elsie Lange
It’s almost unsurprising the delightful village of Mount Macedon has been crowned Victoria’s best tiny town, and local tourism operators are “thrilled”.
The hamlet has today received the Top Tiny Tourism Town award, a new category introduced by the Victorian Tourism Industry Council’s (VTIC) Top Tourism Town Awards, for populations under 1500 people.
Excited about the news, Tourism Macedon Ranges chair Jenny Stillman said Mount Macedon reiterated that the town “punches above its weight”.
“We’re very, very proud and pleased with the outcome,” Ms Stillman said.
“It’s a all-year round attraction and asset, and a wonderful place to live.”
Other champions revealed today include Bendigo, for Victorian Top Tourism Town with a population over 5000, and Port Fairy, for Top Small Tourism Town Award with a population between 1500 and 5000.
The three towns will now go in the running for the title of Australia’s Top Tourism Town in their respective categories, to be announced in coming months.
Macedon Ranges Accommodation Association (MRAA) president Andrew Towner believes the award recognises the hard work of local businesses, the community and council to create “exceptional experiences” for visitors.
“Mount Macedon now advances to the National Awards and this will help raise the profile of the Macedon Ranges Australia-wide,” he said.
VTIC chief executive Felicia Mariani described tourism as the “lifeblood” of regional towns, and the awards showcase the diverse range of incredible places to visit in Victoria.
Daylesford Macedon Tourism chief executive Steve Wroe said the win was “thrilling” and was feeling confident about the town’s prospects at the national awards.
“What it demonstrates is the ability to balance the visitor economy with community needs,” Mr Wroe said.
“An example of this is the Macedon Ranges Autumn Festival, which was specifically designed to offer visitors a broad suite of activities during the autumn leaves times, while dispersing the visitors across the region to minimise the impact on local residents.”
