Cornwall Triumphs in South West Tourism Excellence Awards

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1 PRESS RELEASE 11 February 2013 Cornwall Triumphs in South West Tourism Excellence Awards Cornish tourism businesses stole the show in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards (on 8 February 2013) with a string of top titles going in Cornwall s favour. Across the 17 categories Cornish businesses racked up an impressive 10 Gold awards, 5 Silver, 9 Bronze and 3 Highly Commended, and to complete the remarkable feat the coveted Winner of Winners title was bestowed on Trethem Mill Touring Park. This marked a double win for the Roseland based camping site who also claimed the title of Holiday Park & Village of the Year in a category which was dominated by Cornwall. Other highlights of the night saw Bodmin Visitor Information Centre reign supreme in the Tourist Information Service of the Year category for the second year running, whilst the Pandora Inn situated on the edge of Restronguet Creek, claimed Gold despite having been devastated by a fire less than two years earlier. The gold spotlight also shone on north Cornwall s Pendragon Country House, Bedruthan Steps Hotel & Spa and Outlaw s Seafood & Grill Restaurant. Success for the south/south east of Cornwall was won by Bosinver Farm Cottages and the aptly named, A Little Bit of Heaven which offers accessible accommodation. Elsewhere in Cornwall, the hospitality team at Portreath s Gwel an Mor were recognised for providing Outstanding Customer Service and the Falmouth Oyster Festival was named Tourism Event of the Year. The awards night took place at the Eden Project which made Cornwall s success even more poignant with Malcolm Bell, Head of Visit Cornwall, the Cornwall

2 Development Company tourism service, there to congratulate the winners: With Cornish tourism businesses achieving such runaway success it highlights Cornwall as being a clear destination leader in the South West. This offers important confidence in the value of our product and gives visitors an incentive to choose Cornwall over neighbouring destinations which is vital when, as in our case, visitors quite literally have to go the extra mile to visit Cornwall. Well done to all the deserving businesses. Joan Symons, Cornwall Council Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Culture and Leisure, adds: Cornwall itself is no stranger to award success but it is because of businesses such as these that it is such a popular visitor destination. For Cornwall to dominate the winner s role in a region that is renowned for tourism and quality is an incredible achievement and I congratulate each and every one of the winners who should be applauded for setting such high standards. Alongside entries from across the South West region which reaches as far as Wiltshire in the east and the Cotswolds in the north, the finalists from Cornwall underwent a rigorous short-listing process and were visited by mystery shoppers. Up to four Award winners from each category in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards will now go on to represent the region at the National Enjoy England Awards for Excellence in May. ENDS Notes to Editors About the South West Tourism Excellence Awards The South West Tourism Excellence Awards are coordinated by Services for Tourism Ltd in association with the South West Tourism Alliance. They are the official tourism awards for South West England, linking to the awards schemes in Cornwall and Devon, as well as forming the South West regional heats for the national Visit England Awards. About Visit Cornwall Visit Cornwall is a service of the Cornwall Development Company, Cornwall Council s arms length economic development company. Visit Cornwall undertakes destination marketing aimed at attracting first time visitors to Cornwall through appropriate promotions including targeted PR and through its award winning digital marketing. Visit Cornwall also supports

3 relevant major festivals/events and undertakes targeted research and market intelligence activities to drive Cornwall s marketing and product development. visitcornwall.com is the official tourist board online visitor guide. Join Visit Cornwall on Facebook Follow Visit Cornwall on Twitter Watch Visit Cornwall on Youtube Images Captions for images accompanying this release: Trethem Mill Touring Park collects the Winner of Winners title The Eden Project hosted the South West Tourism Excellence Awards Further images for the Awards night are available to download: 1. Go to 2. Choose photo(s) 3. Click on Download 4. Choose the size/resolution you desire 5. The chosen image will be downloaded Further information Julia Hughes Tourism Press & PR Executive Visit Cornwall julia.hughes@visitcornwall.com SOUTH WEST TOURISM AWARDS : THE WINNERS IN FULL TOURISM ACTIVITY, SPORT & EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR In Partnership with Country Sports South West Razorcat Tours, Bath & Wiltshire Kneehigh (The Asylum), Cornwall Arundell Arms Hotel, Devon

4 Big Zoo Animal Keeper Experience at Noah s Ark Zoo Farm, Bristol Rock & Rapid Adventures, Devon HOLIDAY PARK & VILLAGE OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Stephens Scown LLP Trethem Mill Touring Park, Cornwall Oakdown Country Holiday Park, Devon Gwel an Mor, Cornwall Cofton Country Holidays, Devon The Park, Mawgan Porth, Cornwall TASTE OF THE SOUTH WEST Sponsored by Hale Events Outlaw s Seafood & Grill Restaurant, Cornwall Riverford Field Kitchen, Devon Eastbury Hotel, Dorset The Star Castle, Isles of Scilly Urban Reef, Bournemouth TOURIST INFORMATION SERVICE OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Quality in Tourism Bodmin Visitor Information Centre, Cornwall Gloucester Tourist Information Centre, Gloucestershire

5 Woolacombe & Mortehoe Tourist Information Centre*, Devon Fal River Visitor Information Centre, Cornwall Lyme Regis Tourist Information Centre, Dorset SMALL HOTEL OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Jarrang Gidleigh Park, Devon The Scarlet, Cornwall Talland Bay Hotel, Cornwall The Manor House Hotel, Gloucestershire SMALL VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Resort Marketing Exmoor Zoo, Devon River Dart Adventures, Devon Porthcurno Telegraph Museum, Cornwall Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life, Devon Geevor Tin Mine, Cornwall ACCESS FOR ALL AWARD Sponsored by Tourism for All A Little Bit of Heaven, Cornwall

6 Access for all Seaside Holidays, Bournemouth Calvert Trust Exmoor, Devon Westward Living at Duckhaven Stud, Devon OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Sponsored by Services for Tourism Brian O Brien, Environmental Coordinator of Devon Cliffs Holiday Park, Devon BED & BREAKFAST AND GUEST ACCOMMODATION OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Boxx Clever Pendragon Country House, Cornwall The Somerville, English Riviera, Devon Atlantic House B&B, Cornwall The Salty Monk Restaurant with Rooms, Devon Villa Marina, English Riviera, Devon SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARD Sponsored by A Head for PR Mill on the Brue Outdoor Activity Centre, Somerset Mazzard Farm Holiday Cottages, Devon The Old Rectory Bed & Breakfast, Cornwall Watergate Bay Hotel, Cornwall LARGE VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR

7 Sponsored by Take One Media The Roman Baths, Bath National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Cornwall Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Devon Cotehele, Cornwall LARGE HOTEL OF THE YEAR Sponsored by E-Strategy Bedruthan Hotel & Spa, Cornwall Headland Hotel, Cornwall Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, Wiltshire Lincombe Hall Hotel, English Riviera, Devon TOURISM PUB OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Accounting & General Pandora Inn, Cornwall The Lazy Toad, Devon The Swan in Wedmore, Somerset The Rashleigh Arms, Cornwall SELF CATERING ESTABLISHMENT OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Pavey Group - Bosinver Farm Cottages, Cornwall

8 Westward Living at Duckhaven Stud, Devon Boscrowan Farm, Cornwall Treworgey Cottages, Cornwall BUSINESS TOURISM AWARD Sponsored by Santander Corporate Banking Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, Wiltshire Arundell Arms Hotel, Devon Best Western Tiverton Hotel, Devon OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD Sponsored by Sidona Group The Hospitality Team at Gwel an Mor Resort, Cornwall Tara Dare of Hedgehog Corner B&B, Devon Claire Preece of Kents Cavern, English Riviera, Devon TOURISM EVENT OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Hays Specialist Recruitment Falmouth Oyster Festival, Cornwall RNAS Yeovilton International Air Day, Somerset Agatha Christie Festival, English Riviera, Devon WINNER OF WINNERS Sponsored by First Great Western

9 Trethem Mill Touring Park, Cornwall