Whyalla Visitor Centre recognised with state award for customer excellence
Whyalla City Council is celebrating a major achievement, with the Whyalla Visitor Centre named winner of the Excellence in Customer Experience Delivery Award at the LG Professionals SA 25th Annual Leadership Excellence Awards. The award recognises the exceptional transformation of the Whyalla Visitor Centre and its commitment to delivering outstanding, visitor experiences across multiple tourism touchpoints.
The Whyalla Visitor Centre team was acknowledged for redefining the traditional visitor information model, evolving into a dynamic, experience-led tourism service underpinned by strong customer service excellence. The recognition follows an impressive year for the service, which also secured Gold in the Visitor Information Services category at the 2025 South Australian Tourism Awards and was named a finalist in the national tourism awards. The Visitor Centre has expanded its reach across three locations, the main Visitor Centre and Maritime Museum, the foreshore information pod, and a pop-up service at the Giant Australian Cuttlefish dive site.
Events and Tourism Coordinator Jenny Barnes said the award was a proud reflection of the team’s dedication and passion for showcasing Whyalla.
"This recognition is incredibly rewarding for our staff, volunteers and the many people who contribute to making Whyalla a welcoming and memorable destination," Ms Barnes said.
"We have worked hard to transform the visitor experience by creating genuine connections, delivering personalised service and evolving how we engage with visitors. From revitalised tours and new merchandise to our foreshore pod, cuttlefish pop-up activation and tourism experiences, every initiative has centred around delivering exceptional customer experiences."
Mayor Phill Stone said the recognition was a proud moment for the entire community and the people behind the Visitor Centre’s success.
"This award belongs to the people behind the counter, on the tours, at the cuttlefish pop-up and everywhere in between who go above and beyond to create memorable experiences for our visitors," Mayor Stone said.
"Our Visitor Centre team has completely transformed the way we showcase Whyalla, and they’ve done it with passion, innovation and love for our community. We already know we’ve got something special here in Whyalla so, seeing that recognised at a state level is something of which we should all be incredibly proud."
The award-winning transformation has delivered measurable outcomes, including increased sales, expanded partnerships with local suppliers and tourism operators, improved visitor experiences, and stronger engagement across the region. Between 2024 and 2025, combined sales across merchandise, tours and museum visitation increased, while thousands of visitors engaged with the service through its multiple customer touchpoints and new online booking platform.
The LG Professionals SA Leadership Excellence Awards brought together more than 570 local government professionals from across South Australia to celebrate innovation, leadership and excellence within the sector.
Council congratulates all nominees, finalists and award recipients recognised throughout the evening for their outstanding contributions to local government and their communities.
