20 May Newy Tour Co Wins Best Tourism Experience Newcastle at the 2026 NTIG Awards
We are thrilled to share that Newy Tour Co. has been named the winner of Best Tourism Experience at the 2026 NTIG Awards, the annual celebration of excellence hosted by the Newcastle Tourism Industry Group. The category was sponsored by Newcastle Airport, and to be recognised among such an outstanding field of Newcastle tours and operators is an honour we will not soon forget.
A milestone moment for a young tour company
When we founded Newy Tour Co. in December 2023, we set out with a simple ambition: to share Newcastle, the Hunter Valley, and the wider region in a way that felt personal, curated, and genuinely connected to the people who live here. Just over two years later, being recognised as the best tourism experience Newcastle has on offer for 2026 feels like a milestone that belongs to everyone who has booked a seat with us, every supplier who has welcomed our guests, and every local who has shared a story along the way.
What the Best Tourism Experience award recognises
The NTIG Awards 2026 Best Tourism Experience category recognises operators who deliver memorable, high-quality visitor experiences that reflect the character of our region. Judges weigh product design, guest feedback, innovation, and contribution to the broader Newcastle visitor economy. Winning in this category tells us that what we set out to do, small group tours Newcastle locals would be proud of and visitors would talk about long after they head home, is landing the way we hoped.
What makes our small group tours distinctive
We run seven curated day tour products spanning Newcastle, the Hunter Valley, Port Stephens, and our coastal and marine experiences. Scheduled departures are capped at eleven passengers, and private bookings sit at a maximum of twenty-three. That scale keeps the experience intimate, the pace relaxed, and the storytelling personal.
Our Newcastle City Highlights and Coastal Tour blends harbour, headland, and history into a single morning, ideal for first-time visitors and for Novocastrians introducing friends to their hometown. Our Hunter Valley Wine and Gourmet Experience sits at the heart of our Hunter Valley tours, taking guests beyond the cellar door and into the working stories of family-run vineyards and producers we have built relationships with over years. And our newest product, the Food and Street Art Walking Tour, threads through Newcastle’s laneways and eateries to showcase the creative energy reshaping the city centre.
For travellers based further south, all of our scheduled departures are easily accessible from Sydney. Newcastle is roughly two hours up the M1, or a comfortable train ride into Newcastle Interchange, which makes our day tours from Sydney a low-effort alternative to the same well-trodden Sydney itineraries.
Two years of work behind one trophy
This award reflects effort that began long before the trophy arrived. We attended ATE in both 2025 and 2026, joined ATEC as members, completed Focus on NSW programs, and sat down with more than 150 international trade buyers across pitch meetings. We hosted four inbound famils, walking buyers and journalists through the experiences our future guests would book. And we launched the Food and Street Art Walking Tour, our first walking product, which has already become a favourite for visitors looking for a deeper read on the city.
None of that happens without partners. The wineries, restaurants, artists, marine operators, accommodation providers, and tourism bodies who back our small business have shaped what we do every day. This award is theirs as much as it is ours.
Thank you to Newcastle Airport and NTIG
A sincere thank you to the team at NTIG for the energy and rigour they bring to elevating our regional tourism community, and to Newcastle Airport for sponsoring the Best Tourism Experience category. Newcastle Airport is the front door for so many of our international and interstate guests, and their continued investment in regional connectivity is part of what makes our work possible.
What’s next for our guests
If you have been thinking about a Hunter region getaway, a coastal day out, or a Newcastle escape from Sydney, this is a lovely moment to come and see what the fuss is about. Scheduled departures continue across all seven products, and private bookings are open for groups, friends, and family travel.
Browse our full range of award-winning Newcastle tour experiences, lock in a date, and we will see you on board.
