17 April 2008
Tourism website “one of best five in world”
CUMBRIA Tourism’s website is in the running for a major
international award next month.
Winners of the Webby Awards will be announced in New York City
on May 6 in what the New York Times describes as the “Oscars for
the Internet.”
For the first time ever, Cumbria’s www.golakes.co.uk website has been
shortlisted in the Tourism category of the awards after undergoing
a sophisticated redesign to add more features, campaign imagery and
make it more user-friendly to book-a-stay.
David Michel-Davies, Executive Director of The Webby Awards,
said: “As a nominee for the awards Cumbria Tourism’s website has
been selected as one of the five best in the world in its category.
The Webby Awards honours the outstanding websites that are setting
the standards for the internet.”
The other finalists are the South Australian Tourism Commission;
the Rockefeller Centre in Manhattan, the Swedish eco-zoo Furuvik,
and a website profiling Monterey County on the Pacific coast of
California, US.
The Webby Awards are the leading international awards honouring
excellence on the internet. They are awarded by the International
Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences - a 550-person judging academy
whose members include Internet co-inventor Vinton Cerf, Sir Richard
Branson and Simpson's creator Matt Groening.
The golakes website is a major portal for thousands of Cumbria
tourism businesses such as visitor attractions and accommodation,
which rely on it to generate visits and bookings from people
visiting the area.
For fans of the Lakes, it is also a favourite as millions turn
to it when looking to plan or arrange a break in the Lake District
and Cumbria. People can arrange places to stay, things to do,
events, activities and places to eat and drink.
It receives over three million visits a year and generated £1.9
million in bookings for tourism businesses in the past 12
months.
Rachel Stott, Cumbria Tourism’s E-Tourism Manager, said: “As
well as being hugely effective for our members and visitors, we are
extremely pleased that golakes is now recognised by the world
experts.”
The website is funded by the Northwest Regional Development
Agency (NWDA). Peter Mearns, Executive Director of Marketing at the
NWDA said: “The redesigned golakes website makes it even easier for
people to turn a tentative interest into a real visit. Online
marketing is vital if we are to grow and sustain the region’s
visitor economy and I am delighted to see Cumbria Tourism’s website
being recognised as one of the best in the world.”
The website was designed in conjunction with top marketeers
Cheetham Bell JWT Manchester and the platform supplied by the New
Vision Group in Hertfordshire. Cumbria Tourism’s e-tourism team was
heavily involved in the build of the website and help keep the
content current and topical.
As a nominee for a Webby Award, www.golakes.co.uk is also eligible
to win a People’s Voice Award which are voted for by the web-using
public. Voting is open until May 1st and you need to fill in a
short register to take part at http://pv.webbyawards.com
Ends
1: For more information contact the press office at Cumbria
Tourism by calling 015398 22222.
2: Photo caption: The attached L-R photo shows Alan Airey,
E-tourism Executive; Rachel Stott, E-Tourism Manager; Gaynor Wood,
E-Tourism Assistant and Jill Killen, Webmaster.
3: To find out more about the work of Cumbria Tourism go to
www.cumbriatourism.org
4: Cumbria Tourism is supported by the Northwest Regional
Development Agency (NWDA). The 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.
5: To book accommodation in Cumbria – the Lake District, please
call our Accommodation Booking Line on 0845 450 1199 or go to
www.golakes.co.uk