Kings Park has won an Australian Tourism Award, announced in Sydney on 7 February 2014.

The Kings Park Festival overcame an impressive field to win gold in the Festival and Events category. Other finalists included the National Folk Festival, the Cellar Door Wine Festival in Adelaide and the Deni Blues and Roots Festival in New South Wales.

The Festival and Events category is open to events which demonstrate a substantial economic impact on the community, attracting a wide range of tourists and positively promoting a destination.

Kings Park was also awarded bronze in the Major Tourist Attraction category, which is open to hallmark destinations which attract a national and international audience across Australia. The winner of this category was Taronga Zoo.

With around six million visitors each year, Kings Park welcomes visitors from all over the world to enjoy its remarkable open spaces, beautiful views and unique Western Australian flora in the heart of metropolitan Perth. The Kings Park Festival currently attracts around 600,000 visitors annually.

The awards were accepted by Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority Directors Ms Marcelle Broderick and Ms Lesley Hammersley on behalf of Kings Park. Marcelle Broderick, Director of Business and Visitor Services, said the award was a fantastic achievement and a great acknowledgement of Kings Park's reputation on a world scale.

'We are very proud of what we achieve in Kings Park, not only for our visitors, but to support the tourism industry in Australia. We are able to provide a very unique experience of WA's extraordinary natural landscape right in the heart of the city. It is exciting to be here in Sydney, representing Western Australia on the national stage.'

The event was held at Luna Park in Sydney and attended by representatives from 185 tourism operators from across the country. It was attended by The Hon Andrew Robb AO, Minister for Trade and Investment.

Kings Park and Botanic Garden was the winner of three WA Tourism Awards in November 2013, making the park eligible for the national awards. Kings Park is the most visited destination point in Western Australia.

A special thanks to our dedicated staff, volunteers and major sponsors - Santos, Friends of Kings Park, Lotterywest and The West Australian.