24 April 2008
Three tourism ‘Oscars’ for England’s Northwest
England’s top tourism businesses were named in a glittering
ceremony in Liverpool last night, and England’s Northwest walked
away with three Gold Awards, reflecting the continued success of
the region’s tourism industry.
Organised by VisitBritain, the Enjoy England Awards for
Excellence are the annual tourism ‘Oscars’ for English holidays.
Held at St George’s Hall in Liverpool on St George’s Day, it was
the first time that the prestigious awards have been held outside
London.
All of the winners had previously won at the England’s Northwest
Tourism Awards, organised by the Northwest Regional Development
Agency (NWDA), and prior to that had come out on top at their
sub-regional awards.
Winner of Gold in the Self-Catering Holiday of the Year category
is Stone Cottage, a boutique five-star cottage located at the heart
of some of the best walking country in the Lake District in the
tiny hamlet of Deepdale, near Ullswater. An extensive refurbishment
programme has uncovered many original features creating a chic
cottage, which feels at home in its glorious Lakeland setting.
Stone Cottage sleeps six plus cot, and special extras can be
arranged on request including a private chef service. (www.lakelandstonecottage.co.uk;
017684 82647) Awards judges praised the dedicated owners for their
hard work in maintaining such an exceptionally high quality
product.
This year’s Tourist Information Centre of the Year (TIC) winner
is Liverpool 08 Place. Established as a venue to showcase Liverpool
08, the TIC promotes the Capital of Culture experience and has
welcomed almost half a million visitors – an average of over 16,000
people each month - since it opened its doors in 2005. The
centre is a one-stop culture shop and the first port-of-call for
people wanting to find out more about the city, keeping them
up-to-date and engaging them with the celebrations. A highly
experienced team of multi-lingual staff offer a full range of
information and advice services, while the latest in multi-media
technology provides access to a range of interactive tools –
including up-to-the-minute events listings. (www.visitliverpool.com; 0151
233 2459)
The Tourism Website of the Year winner is www.liverpoolphil.com, the
website for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. The multi-functional
site was re-launched in October 2006 to make it easier to find out
about events through improved information architecture, and is
aimed at a wide audience from tourists to regular visitors.
Customers can now see the concert view from their seat, listen to
and watch audio and video clips, receive live help as well as
purchase memberships, CDs and digital downloads on the site.
Innovative marketing tactics have helped to drive more visitors to
the site and since its launch, online sales have nearly doubled and
now account for 34% of all ticket sales. (www.liverpoolphil.com; 020 7449
6241)
Felicity Goodey, Chair of Tourism England’s Northwest,
said:
“This latest set of awards shows just how far the region has come
in turning England’s Northwest into a recognised, high quality,
international visitor destination. Last year we won all the
major categories for accommodation; this year we have shown
we not only offer great places to stay, but increasingly
sophisticated ways of finding out about, and booking, what we have
to offer.”
Hugh Taylor, VisitEngland chairman said:
“The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence highlight the rising
quality and diversity of holiday experiences on offer in England.
From foodie gems and unique attractions to magnificent hotels and
sustainable B&B’s, England is an exciting world-class tourism
destination, in which to discover something new. We are proud to
honour the people behind those outstanding tourism businesses who
play a vital role in encouraging visitors to holiday in
England.”
-ends-
For further information please contact Helen Batte, Tourism
Press Officer on 01925 400235 or 07764 239856 or Helen.Batte@nwda.co.uk
For urgent out of hours press enquiries please call 01925
400259.
For further information and to view previous press releases
visit us at www.nwda.co.uk
For images of the ‘Gold’ and ‘Silver’ winners please visit
www.digitalrailroad.net/jepsonuk
- sign in with the member name ‘EnjoyEngland1’ and password
‘send12ME’. Please note these are both case-sensitive.
• The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2008 celebrate
the best of English tourism. Now in their 19th year, the Awards are
known throughout the industry as the ‘Oscars’ of tourism. They
promote healthy industry competition and high standards, helping to
ensure England's place as a world-class destination.
• There are sixteen different categories, from visitor
attractions and hotels to self-catering accommodation and caravan
parks. Entries are submitted to the regional tourism partners and
then short-listed to the national finals, culminating in the Awards
ceremony in April.
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) leads the
economic development and regeneration of England's Northwest and is
responsible for:
• Supporting business growth and encouraging
investment
• Matching skills provision to employer needs
• Creating the conditions for economic growth
• Connecting the region through effective transport and
communication infrastructure
• Promoting the region’s outstanding quality of life