Eight outstanding tourism businesses from across the South West have been shortlisted as finalists in the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, four of which are from Devon. They will have to wait until 3 June to find out if they have won Gold, Silver or Bronze at the awards ceremony at Aerospace Bristol.
The national awards, which have been championing excellence in England’s tourism industry for more than 35 years, celebrate quality, innovation, best practice and exceptional customer service. Finalists represent the very highest standards across accommodation, attractions, experiences, food and drink, accessibility and business events.
The South West finalists, all of whom started on this journey by entering their respective county awards programmes, are:
Devon
- One Drake Road and Apartments – B&B and Guest House of the Year
- Clawford Lakes Resort and Spa – Holiday Park of the Year
- Kents Cavern Prehistoric Caves – International Tourism Award
- Bovey Castle – Large Hotel of the Year
Bristol, Bath, Somerset and Gloucestershire
- Flora and Fauna Exmoor – New Tourism Business of the Year
Cornwall
- Watergate Bay Hotel – Large Hotel of the Year
- The Story of Emily – New Tourism Business of the Year
- Bosinver Farm Cottages – Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year
The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence are delivered in collaboration with 21 regional competitions across England. These South West businesses are among just 53 finalists selected from 369 winners from local schemes around the country.
Iain and Jack White-Duncan, from One Drake Road, said, “We are absolutely thrilled to be named a finalist in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence in the B&B and Guest house category, especially in such a strong and competitive year. To see what we have created at One Drake Road (Devon) recognised on a national stage means a great deal to both of us.”
Elliot Hassall, Clawford Lakes and the Lakeshore Leisure Group, commented, “We’re really proud to be a VisitEngland finalist. It reflects the hard work the team puts in every day to create a great experience for our guests, and it’s brilliant to see that recognised.”
Elliot Ling, from Kents Cavern, went on to say, “Being recognised nationally for International Tourism is a huge achievement for Kents Cavern and a proud moment for our staff. As a gateway site to the UNESCO English Riviera Global Geopark, we strive to provide a world-class welcome to international visitors, and being named a finalist by VisitEngland validates all the hard work our team puts in year-round.”
Andrew Stokes, Director at VisitEngland, said, “These awards honour the very best businesses and individuals in tourism, who are the driving force in an industry that delivers growth to local economies across England. I thank them for their dedicated service, congratulate them on achieving finalist status and wish them every success.”
Entering the local schemes is the only way to progress to the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence. Tourism businesses across the county are now invited to begin their own journey to national recognition and enter the Devon Tourism Awards. Entries close on 31 May, and links to free online entry can be found here.
