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 2012-2013 (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
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
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 www.facebook.com/ilovecornwall Follow Visit Cornwall on Twitter www.twitter.com/ilovecornwalluk Watch Visit Cornwall on Youtube www.youtube.com/cornwalltouristboard 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 2012-2013 Further images for the Awards night are available to download: 1. Go to http://nickwilliams.zenfolio.com/p413973366 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 01872 322928 julia.hughes@visitcornwall.com SOUTH WEST TOURISM AWARDS 2012-2013: THE WINNERS IN FULL TOURISM ACTIVITY, SPORT & EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR In Partnership with Country Sports South West www.countrysportssouthwest.co.uk Razorcat Tours, Bath & Wiltshire www.razorcattours.com Kneehigh (The Asylum), Cornwall www.kneehigh.co.uk Arundell Arms Hotel, Devon www.arundellarms.co.uk
Big Zoo Animal Keeper Experience at Noah s Ark Zoo Farm, Bristol www.noahsarkzoofarm.co.uk Rock & Rapid Adventures, Devon www.rockandrapidadventures.co.uk HOLIDAY PARK & VILLAGE OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Stephens Scown LLP www.stephens-scown.co.uk Trethem Mill Touring Park, Cornwall www.trethem.com Oakdown Country Holiday Park, Devon www.oakdown.co.uk Gwel an Mor, Cornwall www.gwelanmor.com Cofton Country Holidays, Devon www.coftonholidays.co.uk The Park, Mawgan Porth, Cornwall www.mawganporth.co.uk TASTE OF THE SOUTH WEST Sponsored by Hale Events www.hale-events.co.uk Outlaw s Seafood & Grill Restaurant, Cornwall www.nathanoutlaw.com/nathan-outlaw-seafood-grill/ Riverford Field Kitchen, Devon www.riverford.co.uk/restaurant Eastbury Hotel, Dorset www.theeastburyhotel.co.uk The Star Castle, Isles of Scilly www.star-castle.co.uk Urban Reef, Bournemouth www.urbanreef.com TOURIST INFORMATION SERVICE OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Quality in Tourism www.qualityintourism.com Bodmin Visitor Information Centre, Cornwall www.bodminlive.com Gloucester Tourist Information Centre, Gloucestershire www.thecityofgloucester.co.uk
Woolacombe & Mortehoe Tourist Information Centre*, Devon www.woolacombetourism.co.uk Fal River Visitor Information Centre, Cornwall www.falmouth.co.uk Lyme Regis Tourist Information Centre, Dorset www.visit-dorset.com SMALL HOTEL OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Jarrang www.jarrang.com Gidleigh Park, Devon www.gidleigh.com The Scarlet, Cornwall www.scarlethotel.co.uk Talland Bay Hotel, Cornwall www.tallandbayhotel.co.uk The Manor House Hotel, Gloucestershire www.cotswold-innshotels.co.uk/manor SMALL VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Resort Marketing www.resortmarketing.co.uk Exmoor Zoo, Devon www.exmoorzoo.co.uk River Dart Adventures, Devon www.riverdart.co.uk Porthcurno Telegraph Museum, Cornwall www.porthcurno.org.uk Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life, Devon www.tivertonmuseum.org.uk Geevor Tin Mine, Cornwall www.geevor.com ACCESS FOR ALL AWARD Sponsored by Tourism for All www.tourismforall.co.uk A Little Bit of Heaven, Cornwall www.alittlebitofheaven.co.uk
Access for all Seaside Holidays, Bournemouth www.afash.co.uk Calvert Trust Exmoor, Devon www.calvert-trust.org.uk/exmoor Westward Living at Duckhaven Stud, Devon www.westwardliving.co.uk OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Sponsored by Services for Tourism www.services4tourism.co.uk Brian O Brien, Environmental Coordinator of Devon Cliffs Holiday Park, Devon www.haven.com/devoncliffs BED & BREAKFAST AND GUEST ACCOMMODATION OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Boxx Clever www.boxxclever.co.uk Pendragon Country House, Cornwall www.pendragoncountryhouse.com The Somerville, English Riviera, Devon www.somervillehotel.co.uk Atlantic House B&B, Cornwall www.atlantichouselizard.co.uk The Salty Monk Restaurant with Rooms, Devon www.saltymonk.co.uk Villa Marina, English Riviera, Devon www.villamarina.ws SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARD Sponsored by A Head for PR www.aheadforpr.co.uk Mill on the Brue Outdoor Activity Centre, Somerset www.millonthebrue.co.uk Mazzard Farm Holiday Cottages, Devon www.mazzardfarm.com The Old Rectory Bed & Breakfast, Cornwall www.stjuliot.com Watergate Bay Hotel, Cornwall www.watergatebay.co.uk LARGE VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Take One Media www.takeonemedia.co.uk The Roman Baths, Bath www.romanbaths.co.uk National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Cornwall www.nmmc.co.uk Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Devon www.rammuseum.org.uk Cotehele, Cornwall www.nationaltrust.org.uk LARGE HOTEL OF THE YEAR Sponsored by E-Strategy www.e-strategy.net Bedruthan Hotel & Spa, Cornwall www.bedruthan.com Headland Hotel, Cornwall www.headlandhotel.co.uk Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, Wiltshire www.bowood-hotel.co.uk Lincombe Hall Hotel, English Riviera, Devon www.lincombehallhotel.co.uk TOURISM PUB OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Accounting & General www.accountingandgeneral.co.uk Pandora Inn, Cornwall www.pandorainn.com The Lazy Toad, Devon www.thelazytoad.co.uk The Swan in Wedmore, Somerset www.theswanwedmore.com The Rashleigh Arms, Cornwall www.rashleigharms.co.uk SELF CATERING ESTABLISHMENT OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Pavey Group - www.paveygroup.co.uk Bosinver Farm Cottages, Cornwall www.bosinver.co.uk
Westward Living at Duckhaven Stud, Devon www.westwardliving.co.uk Boscrowan Farm, Cornwall www.boscrowan.co.uk Treworgey Cottages, Cornwall www.cornishdreamcottages.co.uk BUSINESS TOURISM AWARD Sponsored by Santander Corporate Banking www.santandercb.co.uk Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, Wiltshire www.bowood-hotel.co.uk Arundell Arms Hotel, Devon www.arundellarms.co.uk Best Western Tiverton Hotel, Devon www.bw-tivertonhotel.co.uk OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD Sponsored by Sidona Group www.sidonagroup.com 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 www.hays.co.uk Falmouth Oyster Festival, Cornwall www.falmouthoysterfestival.co.uk RNAS Yeovilton International Air Day, Somerset www.royalnavy.mod.uk/yeovilton-airday Agatha Christie Festival, English Riviera, Devon www.agathachristiefestival.co.uk WINNER OF WINNERS Sponsored by First Great Western www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk
Trethem Mill Touring Park, Cornwall www.trethem.com