AIRLIE Beach's own Cruise Whitsundays has been recognised nationally in the 12th annual Australian Business Awards 2017.

Now bragging the title of Employer of Choice, the company employs 198 people across the region.

Cruise Whitsundays human resources manager Stacey-Leigh Messenger said the award provides important recognition of the organisation's human resource management practices.

"Cruise Whitsundays is delighted to be a winner of the Employer of Choice Awards in the Australian Business Awards,” she said.

"Our staff are a huge asset to the business and through a supportive culture we ensure they are all trained in their areas of work to deliver the best possible outcomes and customer service.

"We are all about providing exceptional services, quality products and unparalleled experiences and our passionate staff create the magic in our guests' experience.”

Australian Business Awards Program Director Tara Johnston said innovative human resource management practices play an increasingly important role in sustaining leading edge competitiveness for organisations in times of rapid change and increased competition.

"There is a close relationship between innovation and employee engagement,” she said.

"Engaged employees often perform at a higher level and bring dedication and interest to their job, which often leads to innovation in the workplace.”

The Australian Business Awards are an annual all-encompassing program which recognises organisations that demonstrate the core values of business innovation, product innovation, technological achievement and employee engagement via a set of comprehensive award categories.