It’s not a newsflash that NSW is home to some incredible holiday destinations. In 2024, our sunny state was the top holiday destination in Australia – with domestic and international visitors spending $53.2 billion across NSW. There are myriad towns and villages to visit – from magical coastal idylls to quirky outback towns – and while we all have our personal favourites, it’s interesting to know which towns are ranking as the key tourist hotspots in the state. Every year, the NSW Tourism Association awards the top tourism towns in NSW – recognising the towns that consistently deliver “warm hospitality, memorable experiences and a strong sense of place”. Keen to know this year’s winners? Read on.
For the second year running, the coastal town of Kiama in the magical Shoalhaven region has taken home gold – ranking as the Top Tourism Town (the overall award for towns with a population of more than 5,000). If you're visiting, we'd suggest checking out the biggest blowhole in the world. The nearby town of Shellharbour ranked in second place, and the north coast town of Ballina (home of the big prawn, and the airport gateway to Byron Bay) took home bronze. The NRMA People’s Choice Award for best tourism town went to Newcastle, a destination that was ranked as one of the world’s hidden gem destinations by Time Out editors.
The next award, for the best Small Tourism Town in NSW (for towns with a population of between 1,500-5,000 people) went to Merimbula, a beautiful seaside town on the Sapphire Coast that came in second place in the 2024 awards. The runner up in the Small Tourism Town category for 2025 was the charming Southern Highlands town of Robertson, and Robertson also took home the NRMA People’s Choice Award in this category (our tip: book a stay at this spectacular manor house). Third place in the Small Tourism Town category went to Gloucester, a farming town in the Hunter region.
The final award always goes to a town with a population below 1,500 people – this year’s Tiny Tourism Town award went to Huskisson, the charming fishing village in the Shoalhaven region that also took home gold last year (keen to visit? Book a lakeside hut at this magical farmstay). Broke – a charming mountainside village in the Hunter region took home silver in this year’s awards, and the historic village of Millthorpe scored both the bronze award and the people’s choice award.
It’s worth noting that, for the second year running, south coast towns (specifically those in the Shoalhaven region) have dominated the list. At Time Out Sydney, it’s part of our job to explore the best holiday destinations that the state has to offer, and the south coast is an area that captures our hearts, too.
You can check out all of the winners of this year’s awards over here.
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