Gold Coast Best Of Queensland Gold Status

Some mornings begin in the dark, long before the day brightens over the hinterland. This one began with news worth raising a glass to. Hot Air Balloon Gold Coast has been awarded Gold Status in the 2026 Best of Queensland Experience Program - the highest level of recognition handed out by Tourism and Events Queensland.

Queensland's Highest Tier

The Best of Queensland Experience Program, run by Tourism and Events Queensland, is the state's official stamp of excellence for tourism operators. Businesses are assessed each year against an independent set of benchmarks that weigh everything from customer reviews and social media presence to accreditation and sustainability credentials. In 2026 the program introduced three tiers of recognition - teal, silver and gold - with gold reserved for the operators sitting right at the top.

A status applies for a twelve-month period and is reassessed annually, so this is recognition earned in the here and now, not something rested on from years past. To land in that top tier, alongside some of Queensland's most celebrated experiences, is something we don't take lightly. It belongs as much to the guests who have shared their mornings with us as it does to the crew on the launch field.

A Message from Experience Gold Coast

The recognition was confirmed in a letter dated 29 May 2026 from Experience Gold Coast, signed by Chief Executive Officer John Warn and Head of Visitor Economy & Corporate Relations Rachel Hancock, who wrote to pass on their congratulations and to thank us for our part in showing visitors the very best of the region.

"This Gold status recognition reflects your commitment to delivering exceptional visitor experiences and showcasing the very best of our region to travellers from around the world." Experience Gold Coast

Earned at First Light

Recognition like this isn't won in an office. It's earned in the dark, on a dew-cool launch field, while the burners breathe and the great envelopes swell into shape against a brightening sky. Our Gold Coast flights lift off in the early morning, drifting almost silently above the patchwork of the hinterland - ridgelines, farmland, and the green folds of the Scenic Rim catching the first colour of the day.

Up there, the only sounds are the occasional roar of the burner and the soft conversation of guests leaning over the edge of the basket. The air is cool and still, the movement so gentle you forget you're flying at all. It is that experience, repeated morning after morning and judged on the words of the people who live it, that this award reflects.

What the Recognition Means

Gold Status is more than a badge. Best of Queensland Experiences are added to Tourism and Events Queensland's preferred operator database and prioritised across its marketing, including on Queensland.com, and the recognition stamp can be displayed across our own channels. In practical terms, it helps more travellers find us, and it tells them, before they ever step into a basket, that they're booking something held to the state's highest standard.

To everyone who has flown with us, left a kind word, or simply watched the balloons rise over the coast as the day begins - thank you. This one is yours as much as ours. And to John Warn and the team at Experience Gold Coast, and to Tourism and Events Queensland, we're proud to carry the gold.