APT Group owner Geoff McGeary was recognised for his “outstanding commitment and dedication to the Northern Territory tourism industry” at the 2015 Brolga Awards, receiving the Tourism Ministers Perpetual Trophy in an announcement made at the awards ceremony in Alice Springs by NT Chief Minister Adam Giles.
McGeary has been a true pioneer for the NT, inspired by a 1964 trip to Central Australia when he took a group of students on a camping trip as a school bus driver. That led to the launch of tours, the opening of overseas offices bringing visitors from New Zealand, the UK, the USA and Canada and later the development of infrastructure including the Alice Pacific Resort, Hawk Dreaming Lodge in Kakadu and the Kings Canyon Wilderness Lodge.
Five decades on APT is now a global business and one of the leading travel companies in Australia, offering more than 100 different holidays to every corner of the world.
Accepting the award, McGeary said he felt incredibly honoured by the accolade. “It was early on in my business career that I realised what an important asset the Northern Territory is to the Australian tourism industry as a whole. It’s hard not to be captivated. So I set about staking my claim to a little part of it for APT in the hope that I could share this incredible part of Australia with our wonderful guests.”
