School for the Visitor Economy awarded Bronze at Victorian Tourism Awards
The School for the Visitor Economy team at the Victorian Tourism Awards
Victoria University’s School for the Visitor Economy was awarded Bronze at the 2025 Victorian Tourism Awards.
Tuesday 16 December 2025
Running for 39 years, the Victorian Tourism Awards are an annual showcase of excellence in tourism, hosted by peak tourism and events body, VTIC.
The Bronze award in the Tourism Education and Training category recognised the School for the Visitor Economy’s significant partnerships with industry – offering practical experience at all levels of training and education.
2025 highlights for the School for the Visitor Economy include:
- VenU charity dinner: In June 2025, VU’s VENU student-run restaurant hosted a 6-course degustation dinner with paired wines, prepared by renowned Melbourne chef Sascha Randle from the Meatsmith Kitchen, with support from: 20 VU cookery students, 30 VU hospitality students, and 17 event management students. The night was a big success and raised $6,700 for the VU Centre of Excellence in Paramedicine.
- Student competitions: 29 VU cookery students participated in the Regional AUS TAFE cooking competition in April 2025, showcasing their culinary skills and creativity. Four VU apprentices were selected to participate in the Bocuse d'Or Australia Golden Knife 2025 in May and Certificate III in Commercial Cookery student Odile Campello won the Best Commis Award.
- Featured in Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s digital campaign: showcasing how students are building practical skills for a more sustainable visitor economy.
On receiving the award, Professor Naomi Dale, Director of the School for the Visitor Economy, said:
We are thrilled to be recognised once again for providing great student outcomes and impact for industry through our training, placements and research collaborations across VU."
