Ashmore Palms owner Maria Illich with the park's mascot, Macca Macaw.

ASHMORE Palms Holiday Village on Queensland's Gold Coast has been voted tops in the South Pacific.

The family-owned and operated park, a member of the BIG4 chain of caravan parks and resorts, was awarded a 96 percent average rating by holidaymakers taking part in a TripAdvisor.com survey.

The travel guide and research website hosts reviews from users and other information designed to help plan holidays, with the Travellers Choice Award based on quality, reviews and value for money.

Ashmore Palms owner and managing director Maria Illich said she was delighted  with the news.

And BIG4 Holiday Parks chief executive Terry Goodall said it was a "high honour" to be ranked so highly by one of the most popular travel sites internationally.

"We are flattered that such a credible and successful online business has recognised Ashmore Palms as being the fine holiday destination that it is.

"The proof is in the pudding – if the customers are happy, then so are we," he said.

"We are extremely proud of Ashmore Palms which has won numerous Queensland Tourism Awards over the past 10 years and Hall of Fame honours at the Australian Tourism Awards. The village has also consistently maintained Industry Accreditation since 1999," he added.

One tourist taking part in the survey described the village's location as "fantastic" and praised the friendliness and helpfulness of staff.

Children enjoy the facilities at Ashmore Palms

"Activities for the kids were great .... our boys never had a chance to be bored, and neither did we," wrote another voter. "Ashmore Palms is simply the best holiday park we have stayed in. We will definitely be back and will not even consider staying anywhere else."

Ashmore Palms marketing manager Tanya Forster believed positive word of mouth was responsible for the park's popularity.

"The majority of our business is stimulated by referrals and repeat customers," she said.

"We are extremely happy with the award being web-based given the reach that online mediums deliver to wider audiences. We pride ourselves on offering friendly customer service, which makes for an enjoyable holiday for our guests and a memorable holiday experience," she added.

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