The Busselton Jetty Experience won Top Heritage Tourism Project in the WA Heritage Awards.
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The awards, which are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, recognises outstanding contributions to heritage conservation, adaptive reuse, promotion, tourism and interpretation.
The Jetty experiences include the Jetty Train, Underwater Observatory, Interpretive Centre and Museum.
Heritage Minister David Templeman believes the awards highlight the importance of heritage for tourism.
"The number of regional projects to receive awards tonight, particularly in the tourism-related field, illustrates the important role heritage plays in creating vibrant and economically sustainable communities for the enjoyment of tourists and local residents,” Mr Templeman said.
The award judges chose the Busselton Jetty, saying it was a unique attraction that is leading tourism experience in the South West.
Over the 151 years, the old Busselton Jetty has firmly established itself as a unique attraction and continues to grow as a leading tourist experience in the South West and Western Australia with approximately 400,000 visitors per year.
In the past year, more visitor experiences have been added to the Busselton Jetty Experience. There is now a guided walking or buggy tour, heritage nodes to explore, fishing clinics and a fun maritime and heritage Bollard Trail Quiz quiz along the length of the jetty. A highlight of the new program is the Underwater Helmet and Snorkel Tour.
The Jetty is managed by the Busselton Jetty Environment and Conservation Association (BJECA), a not-for-profit organisation. It is already working on plans to develop a new major attraction onsite to will secure the Jetty’s future.
