Exmouth wins 2023 West Australian Small Tourism Town Award

17 May 2023

Exmouth brings home gold for the second year in a row and will go on to compete at the national level

Home to the incredible Ningaloo Reef and the spectacular gorges and canyons of the Cape Range National Park, Exmouth, Western Australia, is a stunning adventurer's playground. Visitors travel from across the globe for the chance to swim in Ningaloo's turquoise waters amongst whale sharks, manta rays, humpback whales, and sea turtles. Locals and travellers recognise the town as a must-visit destination. The voters and judges of the 7NEWS Top Tourism Town Awards agree, awarding Exmouth gold for the second year in a row.

This year was an especially big one for our town, thanks to the 2023 Total Solar Eclipse. The Visitor Centre, local businesses, tour operators, and volunteers pulled together to welcome nearly 20,000 visitors from across the globe to our remote slice of paradise, leaving them with memories they'll treasure for a lifetime. This award is a testament to the spirit of collaboration and teamwork in Exmouth.

Shire President Darlene Allston

The 7NEWS Top Tourism Town Awards is a Western Australia-wide competition designed to recognise and reward towns in Western Australia that demonstrate a strong commitment to encouraging tourism and increasing visitation to their destination. The award is divided into three categories based on population size and is vital in showcasing WA towns and driving tourism to remote regions. As a town with a population between 1,500 and 5,000 people, Exmouth competed against Leonora, Tom Price, and York for the Small Tourism Town Award.

Exmouth is a special place, and it is a place of dreaming and it is a place of dreams.

Hazel Walgar

All participants have impressed both an industry panel of judges and the public through consumer voting. Exmouth, will now go on to represent Western Australia on a national level in the Australian Top Tourism Town Awards and hopes to bring home the national title home again as well.

Deputy Shire President Jackie Brooks accepted the award on behalf of the Shire of Exmouth in Kalgoorlie-Boulder

As the Small Tourist Town Award winner, Exmouth will receive a $10,000 advertising prize package from Seven West Media (WA), an on-air acknowledgement, an electronic logo, and a framed certificate. When Exmouth won in 2022, Tourism Council WA CEO Evan Hall said,

Exmouth is known as the gateway to the nearby Ningaloo Marine Park and is popular for diving and snorkelling. The town really comes together to promote its natural beauty on land and in the water as one of the world's top destinations for marine wildlife.

Tourism Council WA CEO Evan Hall

Goojawary, the whale shark, is one of Ningaloo Reef's most prominent residents.

After the reopening of Western Australian borders in 2022 and a boon to tourism during the 2023 Ningaloo Eclipse, Exmouth is thrilled with this win and looking forward to competing on a national level.

Sandra Flint

Coordinator Communications & Marketing at Shire of Exmouth

+618 9949 3000