Friday night saw the Whitsundays swoop into Darwin to attend the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards, with Ocean Rafting bringing home gold in the Adventure Tourism category and silver in the Major Tour and Transport Operators category.
More than 180 of Australia’s quality tourism operators came from each state and territory to vie for top honours across 26 categories, with Ocean Rafting’s back-to-back wins on the night cementing its reputation as the Whitsundays’ original and most awarded tour operator.
Owners Peter and Jan Claxton attended the ceremony, along with Sales Captain, Nathan Fleming, representing their team and the three generations of family working in the business.
“We are so proud to have won these two awards on a national level. It seems extra special given we stood on the same podium, winning gold last time Darwin hosted the awards seven years ago, so we’re absolutely thrilled to have won again,” said Jan.
As a local Whitsunday family owned and operated business, Ocean Rafting shares the wonders of the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef with guests from across the globe.
Reflecting on the win, Jan said, “These awards, one which recognises us as the best Adventure Tourism experience in Australia, not only reflect our products and the locations we visit, but they are also a testament to the dedication of our team and their ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional experiences in paradise. It just shows how much they truly love their job and their beautiful backyard where they work and play, renowned for its unforgettable locations and experiences.”
Ocean Rafting’s many environmental initiatives reflect the team’s love and respect for the Whitsunday Islands and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, with weekly environmental activities carried out on a dedicated research vessel. With a nod that can only be attributed to its lengthy success in both showcasing and protecting the Great Barrier Reef, Ocean Rafting is also a coveted Ecotourism Australia Hall of Fame member for being continuously Advanced Ecotourism Australia Certified for 20 years or longer, now 25 years in fact. Ocean Rafting is also a Green Travel Leader, Climate Action Business and is the only company in the Whitsundays with six Master Reef Guides, who are recognised as the world’s leading reef guides, interpreters and story tellers, in addition to a team made up of Marine Biologists and Eye On the Reef trained Eco Hosts.
This past year, Peter and Jan once again circled back to Peter’s aviation roots, adding a second plane to their fleet of vessels and planes for the popular Fly Raft experience, which showcases the best of the Whitsundays from above and below.
“Adventure Tourism can only happen with adventurous guests, an adventurous team and an adventurous industry. It’s this adventurous spirit that pushes us to do what we do, while still being recognised as a tourism industry leader after nearly three decades of running high-standard, quality tourism operations.
“We are so grateful for the support of the Whitsunday community, our tourism industry partners, suppliers, our loyal agents and of course our guests. We should all be very proud, and of course a special congratulations to the other Whitsunday and Queensland winners and finalists in the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards, all so truly deserving of recognition,” said Jan.
Ocean Rafting is a Best of Queensland Experience and a Quality Tourism Accredited Business under the national quality tourism framework. Ocean Rafting is also the recipient of a TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Award for being in top 10% of attractions worldwide every year since 2012 and a TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best award winner in the Top 1% of Tourism Businesses around the world and Top 10 Experiences in Australia.
