Kiama has been named a finalist in the 2025 Top Tourism Awards, recognising not only its scenery but the work being done behind the scenes to market the town to visitors. 

To be in the running, Destination Kiama created and submitted an itinerary aimed at a specific visitor demographic, alongside a video that uses that target market. According to Kiama Council’s Tourism and Events manager Sally Bursell, the process was about strategy and the community. 

“It’s a bit of pride in our town too…If people say where you're from, I'm very proud to say Kiama,” Sally said.

“That's something that rings true for most people that live in this beautiful area, it's a testament to our welcoming community.”

Sally believes it’s the combined efforts of council, local businesses, and the community that make Kiama a strong contender for this award.

“When people roll into town, they get a coffee from a friendly barista and the barista can tell you where to get the best loaf of bread or where’s the best surf break,” Sally said

“It's a bit of a group effort from everyone that lives here.”

Part of Kiama’s tourism strategy has been to move away from increasing visitor numbers and instead encourage longer stays. 

“It's really about our messaging, about come not just for the day, come for three days, because we've got all these things on offer,” said Sally.

“In terms of domestic visitor nights, which are people that are traveling within Australia and staying overnight, we were 24 per cent higher in our latest stats compared to the previous year and the average length of stay is over three nights.”

A strong and consistent range of events, from the Kiama Winter Festival, the Jazz and Blues Festival to Changing Tides, have played a role in strengthening the town’s tourism appeal beyond its summer peak.

“There's lots of people that come in summertime and consider us as a summer destination,” Sally said.

“It's our job at Destination Kiama and Council to try and level that out and remind people how good the area is not in peak time.”

“We obviously have been running the Kiama Winter Festival for a few years…we find that because that's the time of year where our businesses are really crying out for more patronage.”

Destination Kiama is currently running a winter campaign in partnership with local businesses, offering deals to visitors to increase the town’s off-peak season.

Winners of the Top Tourism Town Awards will be announced later this month.