THE Whitsunday region has proved it is firmly back on the adventure traveller's 'must-do' list, by cleaning up at last week's 2014 Golden Backpack Awards.

At a gala evening held in Sydney, one of the biggest awards of the night for the best destination in Australia, went to the Whitsundays, thanks to tens of thousands of voters selecting the region as their favourite.

And the awards didn't stop there.

Local tour operator Whitsunday Sailing Adventures was awarded Best Tour Activity in Queensland and True Blue Sailing's Tony Brown was presented with the Golden Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to protecting the Great Barrier Reef.

Other winners included The Great Barrier Reef, which was named Best Visitor Attraction in Australia and Base Backpackers Airlie Beach, which came third in the poll for Best Accommodation in Queensland.

All of the operators who went to Sydney for the awards agreed that fighting to protect the reef had united them as an industry and taught them how to "hunt as a pack". Deb Brown from True Blue Sailing said pictures of Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet had been beamed to the world because of the fight for the reef and what the operators here were trying to protect.

"And we've become this super little town that everyone had forgotten about but we're back on the map now," she said.

Kellie Brookes from Base Backpackers agreed.

"A few years ago we had places like Noosa and Cairns winning the regions, but over the last few years, with the issues with the reef, we've come together as a region and we're working together for the good of the Great Barrier Reef and the region," she said.

Managing Director of Startrack Media, owners of the Golden Backpack Awards, Kevin Ellis, said he too could see the difference.

"And I think that level of unity amongst still competing businesses has created a new diamond momentum," he said.

Tony Brown said overall this was great recognition for the industry and especially the adventure travel sector.

"It just shows what fantastic operators we have here and how fortunate our region is to have such strong representation by a very committed industry," he said.

Whitsundays Marketing and Development Limited Executive Director Jeff Aquilina said he was extremely proud of the region's winners and would like to congratulate every single one of the entrants for their efforts and continued contribution to the tourism industry in the Whitsundays.

The Golden Backpack Awards are in their 19th year and are Australasia's biggest independent backpacker and adventure industry awards.

For further information and a full list of the winners, visit http://www.goldenbackpackawards.com.au.