This charming regional town just won big at the NSW Tourism Awards

When you’re thinking about holidaying in NSW, it’s usually the state’s gorgeous coastal towns and world-famous Blue Mountains that spring to mind. But hiding in the hills, there’s a gem of a region that’s on the up when it comes to tourism. Over the weekend, the Mudgee Region had a pretty impressive night at the 2026 NSW Tourism Awards – with the area itself scoring three awards, and six local operators recognised among the state's tourism standouts.

Held at ICC Sydney on November 9, the annual awards saw Mudgee Visitor Information Centre take home Gold in the Visitor Information Services category, recognising the team helping visitors make the most of their time in the region. Meanwhile, Mudgee Ale Trail picked up Bronze in its category, and the gorgeous glamping destination Sierra Escape was inducted into the NSW Tourism Awards Hall of Fame for the second time. The accolade follows its first induction in 2021 and recognises businesses that have won gold in their category for three consecutive years.

Three other Mudgee operators also made the finalist list: Glenayr Farm, Mid-Western Regional Council's Flavours of Mudgee festival and The Cudgee at Mudgee. Together, the six finalists showcased the region's breadth of tourism offerings, from food and wine to accommodation, events and visitor experiences.

For Mudgee Region Tourism, the Visitor Information Centre's Gold win was a particular highlight.

"Small regions drive big impact," says Beau Kassas, Chief Marketing Officer of Mudgee Region Tourism. "For our Visitor Information Centre to take home Gold is a tremendous recognition of the team behind it, who go above and beyond for everyone who visits the region."

The awards recognise excellence across the NSW tourism industry, with this year's program attracting 210 nominations, including 48 new entrants, across 30 categories. Entrants are assessed against industry benchmarks by a panel of up to 50 judges, with consumer review scores also taken into consideration.

Now in their 40th year, the NSW Tourism Awards celebrate the businesses and individuals helping to shape the state's visitor economy, recognising everything from the quality of the visitor experience to operational excellence and ongoing improvement.

If you were looking for an excuse to head inland on your next regional getaway, consider this your sign. You can check out the full list of winners this year over here, and you can plan your Mudgee getaway over here.

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