Balloon Aloft named the “best of the best”
Australia’s premier ballooning company Balloon Aloft won the top accolade for Adventure Tourism in the recent Australian Travel and Tourism Awards.
Judy Lynne, co-owner of Balloon Aloft, said: “This award is quite special because we were chosen not only by a group of travel experts, but also by a popular vote.”
When Balloon Aloft was named, in the words of The Australian, as “the best of the best”, Judy said that she was both surprised and delighted, adding “We have been in the business for 27 years and it is wonderful to know that our passion for what we do is recognised and validated by the people who mean the most to us – our passengers.”
Balloon Aloft has locations in Camden near Sydney, the Hunter Valley, Canberra and the Gold Coast.
Judy said, “In our category, I felt we really didn’t have a chance as bigger companies like World Expedition, which does exciting things, and Aurora Expeditions, which takes people on exceptional experiences in the frozen wastelands, were also up for the same award, and they have an excellent reputation in the travel world.”
Organised by The Australian newpaper’s Travel and Leisure section, the awards were endorsed by Tourism Australia and are sponsored by Qantas, Mastercard, and Palazzo Versace.
Travel destinations are nominated before a panel of five travel experts narrows down the choice to six companies in each of 14 tourism categories.
The Australian then asks its readers to voice their opinions about the various companies, and to give their vote to one company which gave service and value for money.
The Award Ceremony was held in the glittering ballroom of the Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast and was addressed by the Federal Minister for Tourism, the Honourable Fran Bailey.
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive