The Inland Tourism Awards are held annually to acknowledge excellence in tourism in the four regional tourism areas of Central, Inland, Murray and Riverina.

Parkes Elvis Festival is part of a record-breaking year, with 51 finalists competing in 19 categories across the four inland tourism regions.

Festival Director Emily Mann said, “It’s an honour to be named a finalist in the Festival & Events category after an incredible 2015 Parkes Elvis Festival.”

The Festival enjoyed a re-brand, had record attendances with 20,000 visitors in town, experienced an unprecedented global media reach of 60 million and injected $13.8M into the regional economy.

“2015 was also the first year Council operated the Festival in its entirety through a Section 355 Committee. To be named as a finalist is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of Council employees and Festival volunteers, without whose assistance the 2015 Parkes Elvis Festival would not have been such a success,” Emily said.

Parkes Elvis Festival is one of 13 finalists from Central NSW Tourism including:

Parkes Elvis Festival, Parkes;

Apex Riverside Caravan Park, Forbes;

Bathurst Visitor Information Centre, Bathurst;

Fairview Art Space, Mudgee;

Ferment - The Orange Wine Centre, Orange;

Forbes in the Heart of the Country, Forbes;

Girragirra Retreat, Forbes;

Gooree Park Wines, Mudgee;

Lakeview Luxury Apartments,

Orange; Reset your Senses in Mudgee Region, Mudgee;

Southern Cross Kayaking, Rylstone / Kandos;

The Old Vic Inn Historic Guesthouse, Canowindra;

The Vineyard Motel, Cowra.