Stellar finalists include a wealth of attractions, accommodation providers, tourism experiences, Tourist Information Centres and businesses that have shown complete dedication to developing the excellent standards of English tourism.
The brightest and best of England’s tourism industry are getting ready to compete for a prestigious accolade, as national tourist board VisitEngland prepares for its annual awards. The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2013 celebrate the very best the country has to offer. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 20th May at the The Point, Lancashire County Cricket Club, in Manchester. This year’s finalists include the Royal Navy’s International Air Day at Yeovilton, the recently re-opened Cutty Sark in Greenwich and Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s Blackfriars restaurant, which boasts the UK’s oldest dining room.
Both regional winners and direct entries for the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence are rigorously assessed by independent assessors and judged by a board of tourism industry experts chaired by VisitEngland Board Member David Orr. The judging panel, which also included travel broadcaster Alison Rice and two previous award winners – Nick Akerman from the Cotswold Conference Centre and Bob O’Connor from Port Lympne Safari Park – had the difficult task of narrowing down around fantastic entries from around the country for the final shortlist.
The level of entry has once again been outstanding, with exceptional progress being made in terms of accessible tourism. Finalists for the Access For All Tourism Award range from Calvert Trust Exmoor, which offers a wealth of outdoor activities for people with special access needs, to London’s Science Museum, which is fully wheelchair accessible and holds monthly events and tours for deaf and hard of hearing visitors.
Other stellar finalists include a wealth of attractions, accommodation providers, tourism experiences, Tourist Information Centres and businesses that have shown complete dedication to developing the excellent standards of English tourism. Finalists range from boutique B&B’s serving local produce such as Alkham Court in Kent, to large luxury country hotels like the Bedruthan Hotel and Spa in Cornwall. The shortlisted finalists offer something spectacular for every age range, interest and budget.
This year’s ceremony will also include the official presentation of the Tourism Superstar 2013 Award. As part of English Tourism Week in March, VisitEngland teamed up with the Daily Mirror for an online public vote to find England’s unsung tourism hero – someone who goes above and beyond the call of duty to make visitors feel extra special, and is a real ambassador for the local area. The winner was Claire Preece, Hospitality Manager at family-run Devon attraction, Kents Cavern. Other accolades include the award for Outstanding Contribution to Tourism, which will be announced on the night, and Travel Article of the Year.
James Berresford, Chief Executive of VisitEngland, commented: “The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence are the benchmark for England’s tourism industry. The sheer breadth and quality of events, businesses and organisations operating across the country has been truly inspiring. All the finalists should be extremely proud of their contribution both to their local area and to the industry as a whole, and it is very satisfying to reward their hard work and dedication.”
The headline sponsor of the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2013 is CH2M Hill – a global engineering project management consultancy which was involved in the development of infrastructure and venues for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Other sponsors include travel trade publication TravelGBI and Kent vineyard, Chapel Down. Several of the 17 award categories are also supported by individual sponsors, including Natwest (Large Hotel of the Year), Barclays (Business Tourism), Guestlink and Hudsons (Visitor Information Provider of the Year), the British Beer & Pub Association (Tourism Pub of the Year), Cottages4you (Self Catering Holiday of the Year), freetobook (Small Hotel of the Year), and Quality in Tourism (B&B/Guest Accommodation of the Year).
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She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
