At last night’s 2026 Prosperity Advisers Newcastle Hospitality & Tourism Awards, Newcastle Airport CEO Linc Horton was recognised as Industry Leader of the Year for his contribution to supporting and championing the growth of the Hunter region’s visitor economy.
The annual awards celebrate the people, businesses and operators helping shape the region’s tourism, hospitality and events industries.
Mr Horton said he was honoured to receive the industry leader award with the recognition belonging to the broader industry and the many operators, venues, businesses and tourism professionals working every day to strengthen the region’s visitor economy.
“This award is not so much about me or the airport as it is about the incredible tourism and hospitality operators we have across our region and the role they play in creating experiences people want to travel for,” Mr Horton said.
“The Hunter is home to world class events, accommodation providers, hospitality venues, authentic tourism experiences and passionate people who continue to raise the bar for visitors coming to our region.
“As Newcastle Airport continues to focus on improving connectivity for the region, I appreciate my role as CEO is to be a strong voice supporting regional tourism efforts and helping create new opportunities for local operators, businesses and communities.”
Mr Horton said collaboration across industry had been critical in helping position the Hunter as one of Australia’s leading regional visitor economy destinations.“One of the great strengths of our region is how connected and collaborative the industry is. There’s a genuine willingness to work together to grow visitation and create positive outcomes for local businesses and communities,”
Newcastle Airport is also continuing to advocate alongside regional tourism organisations and the Hunter Joint Organisation for NSW Government funding support to create a coordinated Hunter Region Branding, Sales and Marketing Toolkit which will strengthen domestic and international visitation to the region.
The proposed toolkit would build on initiatives such as the recently developed Hunter Global trade brochure by creating a broader independent, data driven regional sales and marketing platform including itineraries, sector research and sales strategies to better support long term inbound tourism growth across the Hunter.
Mr Horton said the award recognition highlights the airport’s commitment to supporting regional growth.
“Newcastle Airport is a platform for regional opportunity and my role is to ensure the rest of the State, Country and World sees this. Whether it’s tourism, business, major events or international connectivity, our role is to help support industries across the Hunter and make it easier for people to experience our region.”
