A favourite tourist destination in Indigo Shire, Rutherglen, has been named a finalist in the 2026 Victorian Top Tourism Town Awards in the ‘Small Tourism Town’ category.

Rutherglen, a celebrated wine destination is also known for its many outstanding tourist attractions and much more.

Run by the Victorian Tourism Industry Council (VTIC), the awards celebrate towns that have outstanding visitor experiences and showcase the best of regional Victoria.

Rutherglen is among 22 towns vying for the state title with winners to be decided in part by a public vote.

The awards cut across three categories – Top Tourism Town with a population of more than 5000), Small Tourism Town with a population between 1500 and 5000), and Tiny Tourism Town with a population of under 1500.

Rutherglen was also named a finalist in last year’s awards and now back in the running as a finalist to clinch a category win.

Public online voting plays an important role in determining the winners, with locals and visitors able to choose their favourites destination across Victoria.

Voting is open until Friday 26 June and takes just a few minutes.

The awards ceremony takes place om Wednesday 12 August at the Morwell Convention and Reception Centre.

Rutherglen also recently ranked at number 64 in the top 100 towns to visit in Australia by Australian Traveller magazine (print and digital) as well being in the top 20 towns to visit in Victoria.

The 100 Aussie Best Towns were selected by aggregating the votes of a panel of 15 well-known Australians and tourism industry experts.

Visit www.vtic.com.au/toptourismtown to vote for Rutherglen in the Victorian Top Tourism Town Awards.