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VisitEngland Awards for Excellence finalists announced

Finalists in the tourism industry’s national Awards for Excellence have been revealed by VisitEngland.

The 29th annual awards recognise businesses and individuals who go above and beyond in promoting and practicing excellence across England.

The finalists will be invited to attend afternoon tea at the Bath Assembly Rooms on St George’s Day on April 23.

Winners will be awarded either a Bronze, Silver or Gold award at the ceremony.

VisitEngland chief executive Sally Balcombe said: “These awards are a celebration of our thriving tourism industry. They highlight the people and the organisations that deliver amazing experiences for visitors, raising the profile of England as a world-class destination.

“The finalists have shown themselves to be of the highest calibre, using their talent and innovation to deliver excellence.

“The hundreds of applications this year reflect the quality products across our tourism landscape and I warmly congratulate all the finalists and wish them the very best of luck.”

Latest VisitEngland statistics show that Britons took more than 44 million holidays in England from January to November 2017, spending more than £10 billion on staycations, up five and six per cent respectively compared to the same period in 2016.

VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2018 finalists:

Bed & Breakfast of the Year:

Alkham Court Farmhouse, Kent
South Lodge Boutique B&B, Buckinghamshire
The 25 Boutique B&B, Devon

Boutique Guest Accommodation of the Year:

Cary Arms & Spa, Devon
Hever Castle, Kent
Yorebridge House, Yorkshire

Business Tourism Award:

Rookery Hall, Cheshire
Sage Gateshead, Tyne & Wear
Tewkesbury Park, Gloucestershire

Dog Friendly Business of the Year:

Bulleigh Barton Manor, Devon
Salad Days, Somerset
Wallops Wood Cottages, Hampshire

Guided Tour of the Year:

The Cotswolds Distillery, Warwickshire
World of Wedgwood, Staffordshire
York’s Chocolate Story, Yorkshire

Holiday Park / Holiday Village of the Year:

Gwel an Mor Resort, Cornwall
Polmanter Touring Park, Cornwall
Seafield Caravan Park, Northumberland

Hotel of the Year:

Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Wiltshire
Rudding Park, Yorkshire
Seaham Hall, County Durham

Inbound Tourism Award:

Beiwei 55, London & Tyne & Wear
The Grand Hotel & Spa, Yorkshire
The Roman Baths & Pump Room, Bath & North East Somerset

Inclusive Tourism Award:

Cottage in the Dales, Yorkshire
Mylor Sailing School, Cornwall
The Roman Baths & Pump Room, Bath & North East Somerset

Innovation in Tourism Award:

British Airways i360, East Sussex
Go North East, Tyne & Wear
Lake District China Forum, Cumbria

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year:

Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
Moors Valley Country Park and Forest, Dorset
National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire

New Tourism Business Award:

Ascent Trampoline Park, Lancashire
CityStasher, London
Loose Reins, Dorset

Self Catering Holiday Provider of the Year:

Sheepyard Barn at The Suffolk Escape, Suffolk
The Milkshed, Devon
The Treehouses at Port Lympne Reserve, Kent

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year:

Hall Hill Farm, County Durham
Screech Owl Sanctuary, Cornwall
the Charterhouse, London

Sustainable Tourism Award:

Browsholme Hall, Lancashire
Colton House, Staffordshire
Laverock Law Cottages, Northumberland

Taste of England Award:

Askham Hall, Cumbria
Miller’s Fish and Chips, Yorkshire
Restaurant Hywel Jones by Lucknam Park, Wiltshire

Tourism Pub of the Year:

The Bruce Arms, Yorkshire
The Cartford Inn, Lancashire
The Riverside at Aymestrey, Herefordshire

Visitor Information Provider of the Year:

Liverpool Tourist Information Centre, Merseyside
Oxford Visitor Information Centre, Oxfordshire
York Visitor Information Centre, Yorkshire

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