Mandurah has been named the winner of the 2022 GWN7 Top Tourism Town Award.
The City beat out fellow finalist Geraldton and Esperance to claim the award, receiving a $25,000 airtime package to promote the town on the regional television network GWN7.
Mayor Rhys Williams said Mandurah has always been a significant place in WA and was delighted to see it get the recognition it deserves.
"Five years ago, we reformed Visit Mandurah with a new strategic approach to tourism attraction in Mandurah and the Peel region, driven by a really strong Board and a dynamic team of staff. In that time, we've seen visitor numbers increase to a point where Mandurah has become the number one day-trip capital of WA," he said.
"Recent fit-out and tech upgrades to our new Visitors Centre, plus the introduction of local art and e-scooter commercial offerings, have not only made this a strong and viable service, but also provides a modern, welcoming and impressive first impression for visitors to Mandurah.
"The pandemic certainly presented some challenges for tourism and I have been so proud to see our local businesses rise to the challenges and collaborate to achieve some really great things, and so this award is for them."
The GWN7 Top Tourism Town Awards recognise and reward towns in Western Australia that demonstrate a strong commitment to encouraging tourism and increasing visitation to the destination.
This is the second time Mandurah has taken out the prestigious award as the City also won back in 2017.
Visit Mandurah general manager Anita Kane said the recognition came at the perfect time.
"Over the last few years, Western Australians have explored their state and Mandurah has fast become a much-loved tourism destination," she said.
"Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, long-running tourism operators have launched new products and news attractions have opened their doors. As such, Mandurah has become a major competitor in the tourism industry and this award acknowledges this.
"With an estuary twice the size of Sydney Harbour, Mandurah is one of Australia's most spectacular playgrounds for boating, fishing and wildlife watching."
In the Small Tourism Town category, Dwellingup took out second place with Exmouth winning gold.
Individuals were also recognised for excellence in tourism with Jamie Van Jones from Mandurah's Salt and Bush Eco Tours winning the FACET Golden Guide award.
Ms Van Jones was applauded by the judges for encouraging visitors to immerse themselves in nature and appreciate the local environment.
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"The Western Australian tourism industry is made possible thanks to the passionate people who tirelessly work towards showcasing WA to visitors," Tourism Council WA chief executive Evan Hall said.
"The individual awards provided an opportunity for three of these people to be recognised for their commitment to creating innovative and friendly experiences to Western Australia's visitors."
The awards are run by Tourism Council WA and Visitor Centres WA, and are supported by GWN7, Vanguard Press, Tourism WA and RAC Parks & Resorts.