The Hunter Valley has been named one of the world's top-ten best wine travel destinations by an international magazine considered the bible of wine lovers.
17 January 2013In declaring the NSW wine-growing district one of the very best, the U.S publication, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, has told its readers around the world: “As one of Australia’s traditional grape-growing regions, Hunter Valley has plenty of history to discover and some terrific wines”.1
Acting Premier and Minister for Trade & Investment Andrew Stoner said the award was a strong endorsement of the State’s tourism industry.
“The Hunter Valley is a popular destination for local and international tourists and this award simply confirms its status as one of the world’s best wine destinations,” Mr Stoner said.
“With more than one hundred vineyards, an array of fine dining options, fantastic hotels and world class events, the Hunter Valley truly is a wine-lover’s paradise and a magnificent tourist destination.
“The Hunter Valley produces some of the world’s best wine and is an incredibly popular destination for tourists, last year attracting more than 2 million domestic and international overnight visitors who spent a combined $1.3 billion in the region during their stay.2
“The NSW Government is committed to growing the State’s tourism industry and regions like the Hunter Valley will play a significant role in achieving that goal.”
Minister for Tourism and Major Events, George Souris, said this was a great and well-deserved honour for the region and would surely result in increased wine tourism to the district.
“The Hunter Valley is one of the jewels of NSW and is being discovered by more and more international, interstate and local visitors. Its wines are second to none as are the local restaurants and the breath-taking environment. This is a very important endorsement”.
1 www.winemag.com/Wine-Enthusiast-Magazine/Best-Of-Year-2012/10-Best-Wine-Travel-Destinations-2013/
2 www.destinationnsw.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/161239/The-Hunter-YE-Sep-12.pdf
