It’s official – Lakes Entrance is one of Victoria’s most outstanding tourist destinations.
The town was awarded a silver medal behind state winner Ballarat at the inaugural  Top Tourism Town Awards  announced  last Wednesday, July 14.  
The awards, hosted by the Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC)  at Bendigo Art Gallery, saw the East Gippsland town beat out all but one of the 22 most popular tourist spots across the state. 
Paynesville and Mallacoota also made the final 22, vying for best small town. That award went to Port Fairy.  
Submissions for each town were put forward by  council’s  visitor information centres  team, in collaboration with East Gippsland Marketing and the business and tourism associations of Lakes Entrance, Paynesville and Mallacoota.

IMAGE: President of Mallacoota Business and Tourism Association, Grant Cockburn, East Gippsland Shire Council’s Audrey Vignau, representing Paynesville BTA, president of Lakes Entrance Action Development Association (LEADA), Bruce Hurley and Eileen Hurley, at the Victoria Tourism Industry Council Top Tourism Town Awards where Lakes Entrance won silver. (PS)