Brisbane to Gladstone Race wins Tourism award

11:40 AM Mon 17 Nov 2008 GMT

'Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race Tourism Award 2008 - Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race 2008' Amanda Broadbent

The 60th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race has taken out the festival and events category at the prestigious 2008 Queensland Tourism Awards, Tourism Minister Desley Boyle announced.

The awards, presented by Queensland Airports Limited, were held in a gala ceremony at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

'The Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race has grown from humble beginnings in 1949 to become Queensland's premier ocean sailing event,' Ms Boyle said.

'While the race is renowned internationally among the offshore sailing community, it's the event's huge tourism potential here in Queensland that has been recognised by this award.

'The Brisbane to Gladstone has given rise to three major Queensland community festivals - the Gladstone Harbour Festival, the Redcliffe Festival of Sails and the Sandgate Bluewater Festival - established to coincide with the start and finish of the race.

'More than 73,000 land and water spectators headed to Moreton Bay to watch the start of the 2008 race and mark the event's 60th anniversary while an estimated 70,000 visitors arrived in Gladstone to enjoy the week-long harbour festival and greet sailors as they crossed the finish line.

'The Brisbane to Gladstone is a shining example of how regions can use events to draw visitors, invigorate local economies and generate positive media exposure to promote their destinations.'

by Ken D'Arcy

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