Eden businesses have bagged a record haul at the South Coast Tourism Awards in Batemans Bay on Wednesday night, with Cat Balou Cruises and Sprout Eden among the prize-winners.

Cat Balou backed up their induction into the awards’ Hall of Fame last year with another two gold awards – for best ecotourism operator and best tourism small business operator – along with a silver in the tour/transport operator category.

First-time finalist Sprout wasted little time in climbing to the top of the pile, taking home gold in the tourism cafés division.

The Eden Whale Festival was also an inaugural finalist, competing in the event or festival category, won by the Kiama Show Society.

It marks the first time that multiple Eden businesses have received places in the awards.

“It’s not only great for us, but for Eden,” Cat Balou Cruises owner/operator Ros Butt said.

“The awards cover a very large area, from Wollongong down to the border, so to be named among the best is very pleasing.

“We were in three different categories, so it came as a nice surprise to be awarded in all three.

“It’s especially pleasing after Eden was recently named the best whale watching spot in Australia; people will be drawn to come here and our business goes hand-in-hand with that.

“Eden was well-represented with three different businesses involved this year, and hopefully next year it will increase again.”

 Sprout Eden manager Karen Lott said she is “absolutely delighted” that the innovative café and produce store picked up the top gong at their first attempt.

Sprout finished ahead of Wollongong’s Northbeach Pavilion and Maloney’s Beach Café to take home gold.

“Unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend because of a bad cold, but we’re absolutely delighted,” Ms Lott said.

“It’s hopefully going to put some focus on Eden, and it covers such a big area that we will hopefully be noticed by people from up the coast.

“It should be a big help with business.”

Diane Johnston, acting chair of the South Coast Regional Tourism Organisation, said the bar was set extremely high this year.

“I am thrilled at the standard of entries received for the awards,” she said.

“All the companies that entered and made it to being a finalist are the best tourism businesses on the South Coast of NSW.

“The winners and all the place-getters are the best of the best.”

Tom Phillips, South Coast Regional Tourism Organisation executive officer, agreed and said the winners have kept ahead of an increasingly competitive field in a growing industry.

“Tourism contributes $2.1billion a year to the South Coast economy and directly employs over 19,700 people,” he said.

“These tourism awards allow the best of our tourism industry to show off what they can do and to demonstrate to the world at large that the tourism product here on the South Coast of NSW is second to none.”

Cat Balou Cruises

Sprout Eden

8.30AM:

Cat Balou Cruises and Sprout Eden have taken out two prestigious South Coast Tourism Awards at last night's awards night.

Cat Balou Cruises won the Ecotourism gold award.

Cat Balou were inducted into the Awards' Hall of Fame in 2013, an honour reserved for businesses with multiple gold awards. 

Sprout Eden won the best tourism cafe.

The South Coast Tourism Awards are the principle tourism event on the South Coast of NSW and celebrate the very best of the best in this $2billion per annum tourism industry.

This year marked the 18th South Coast Tourism Awards.

Finalists for the 2014 South Coast Tourism Awards came from across the south coast.

Stay tuned for more from our winners.