Rural gem on the Murray River crowned Victoria’s Top Tourism Town for 2026
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A historic river town just 2.5 hours from Melbourne has been crowned the Top Tourism Town in Victoria for 2026.
Once Australia’s largest inland port, Echuca in northern Victoria took out the gold in the major category at the Victorian Top Tourism Towns awards.
The town of Echuca on the banks of the Murray River, Victoria, Australia. iStock
The awards, run by Victoria Tourism, celebrate towns across the state that provide outstanding visitor experiences.
Two other spots were also recognised at the awards: Portarlington took out Small Tourism Town and Portsea won Tiny Tourism Town.
Echuca is a town on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe River that boasts a charming collection of historic paddlesteamers. But judges said it wasn’t all about the history.
Instead, they called out the “abundance of outdoor activities to enjoy within the natural beauty, a thriving contemporary culture of food and drink, music and art supported by an exciting calendar of events”.
Campaspe Shire Mayor Cr Daniel Mackrell said the result was a tremendous achievement for Echuca and a win for the region.
“This recognition belongs to our tourism operators, accommodation providers, event organisers, local businesses, community groups and volunteers who work so hard to create memorable experiences for visitors,” he said.
“Importantly, this is not just a win for Echuca. Success for Echuca helps shine a spotlight on the entire Campaspe region, creating opportunities for visitors to discover all of our wonderful towns, attractions, events and experiences we have to offer.”
The town of Portsea on the Mornington Peninsular won gold in the Tiny Town category. iStock
Second and third places were also awarded. In the Top Tourism Town category Bendigo won silver and Ballarat took bronze.
Port Fairy was awarded silver in the Small Town field, with Camperdown claiming bronze.
In the Tiny Town category Glenrowan was awarded silver, with Port Campbell taking bronze.
The Top Tourism Town is the overall award for towns with a population of more than 5000, Small Tourism Town looks at towns with a population of between 1500-5000, while the Tiny Tourism Town category focuses on 1500 or less.
The three towns will now go on to compete for the title of Australia’s Top Tourism Town, announced later in the year.
Top Tourism Town Victoria winners 2026:
Top Tourism Town (population over 5,000)
- Gold: Echuca
- Silver: Bendigo
- Bronze: Ballarat
Top Small Tourism Town (population between 1,500 and 5,000)
- Gold: Portarlington
- Silver: Port Fairy
- Bronze: Camperdown
Top Tiny Tourism Town (population under 1,500)
- Gold: Portsea
- Silver: Glenrowan
- Bronze: Port Campbell
