Adelaide Zoo
As a conservation charity, every visit, adoption, donation and ticket helps save species from extinction

Adelaide Zoo crowned Major Tourist Attraction of the Year – again!

Adelaide Zoo has been crowned South Australia’s Major Tourist Attraction of the Year for the second time at the South Australian Tourism Awards.

Adelaide Zoo also received bronze in the Excellence in Accessible Tourism category.

Held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Friday, 9 November 2018, the awards recognise the best tourism operators and products in the state.

Zoos SA Chief Executive Elaine Bensted said being named Major Tourist Attraction of the Year for the second time was a significant achievement for Adelaide Zoo, and recognition of the dedication Zoos SA has to providing innovative tourism experiences.

“With the calibre of incredible tourism operators listed as finalists, it’s a great honour to have Adelaide Zoo recognised as the Major Tourist Attraction of the Year,” Elaine said.

“For more than one hundred years, visitors from all over Australia and the world have been experiencing the wonder of wildlife at Adelaide Zoo.

“Thanks to our ever-evolving unique and innovative tourism products, more intrastate, interstate and international visitors are coming through our gates than ever before.

“And now with Monarto Zoo achieving a record breaking 20 per cent increase in visitation, we have been able to take our tourism offering to the next level with experiences like Lions 360 at Monarto Zoo.

“We’re also taking our responsibility to provide an accessible tourism experience seriously and want to make sure people of all abilities feel accommodated at our zoos.

“It’s a very exciting time for Zoos SA, and with the ongoing implementation of our 20-year Master Plan in place; we’re firmly focused on the future.

“On behalf of the entire zoo family, I’d like to say thank you to the community for helping us achieve this award and allowing us to continue to connect more people with nature and inspire a love for wildlife.”

As a conservation charity, Zoos SA works in partnership to support 19 research and conservation projects across South Australia, Australia and internationally.

Successful breeding programs means we are contributing to saving species, but also constantly providing visitors with something new and exciting to see.

Only a short walk from the Adelaide CBD, Adelaide Zoo spans over eight hectares and is home to more than 2500 animals and 250 different species of native and exotic mammals, birds, reptiles and fish.

An hour’s drive away, Monarto Zoo is one of the world’s largest open range parks outside of Africa, spanning over 1,500 hectares and home to more than 500 native and exotic animals.

Adelaide Zoo will now go on to represent South Australia at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards early next year.