Northumberland Tourism Businesses Scoop Gold!

Friday, 11th May 2007

Categories: Northumberland Tourism News

Two Northumberland tourism businesses are the toast of North East England after winning the English tourism Oscars.

Northumberland Tourism Businesses Scoop Gold!

Two Northumberland tourism businesses are the toast of North East England after winning the English tourism Oscars.

Alnwick Castle and Once Brewed Tourist Information Centre both took home gold awards at the national Enjoy England awards for Excellence at Banqueting House in London last night (Wednesday 18th April).

The Old School B&B and Langley Castle Hotel won Silver awards.

The awards showcase quality, performance and innovation of the tourism sector and recognise excellence in a number of tourism fields including

Alnwick Castle, welcomed over 235,000 visitors through its doors over the past year and the judges praised its informative, engaging and entertaining tours.

Moira Ging, Operations Manager of Alnwick Castle Ventures said: "I am absolutely thrilled that Alnwick Castle has won this very prestigious gold award. To win is truly a credit to all the staff and management at Alnwick Castle and The Northumberland Estates who have contributed to our success. To receive recognition such as this at national level is a fantastic achievement and a huge honour. It endorses the excellent standards and quality of service, which we in Northumberland, take pride in delivering to all visitors who visit the Castle."

Once Brewed Tourist Information Centre was commended for its excellent use of spaces and judges also highlighted its BBQ/picnic site and children's play area.

Alison Blair, Visitor Manager, Once Brewed TIC: "This is an absolutely outstanding achievement and it is much merited for the dedication, enthusiasm and hard work of a very good team. It is wonderful for everyone connected with Once Brewed and a milestone for the standards of tourism services in Northumberland."

Malcolm Downes at The Old School said: "Winning a national silver award for B&B of the year surpasses our expectations. We are absolutely overjoyed at winning such a prestigious accolade.

"We are pleased to be able to promote the stunning part of the country we live and work in, and highlight that visitors can expect to find quality tourism experiences and national award winning accommodation in our region."

Anton Phillips, General Manage at Langley Castle said: "This is an outstanding achievement and is a total justification of all our investment, both in the property and in people, over recent years. It is a great accolade for the hotel, Northumberland and the North East. This is a fantastic part of the world, with so much to offer, and we are delighted to be playing a leading part in boosting tourism. Everyone connected with the hotel should be justifiably proud of this award."

Stacy Hall, Director of Communications and Tourism at One NorthEast said: "All four businesses did fantastically well just to get to the finals but the winners are the cream of North East England's tourism industry."

"As well as recognition of their hard work, the awards are a fantastic marketing tool and all the past winners have enjoyed the benefits that come with national recognition.

"We hope this inspires other businesses to put themselves forward for this year's North East England tourism awards, the winners of which will represent us at next year's finals. It doesn't matter how big or small your business is, we're looking to promote the best tourism businesses across the region."

Mike Parker, Chairman of Northumberland Tourism said: "It is an immense honour to have Northumberland represented by such a fabulous four on the national stage. They are all great ambassadors for Northumberland and the North East region. My heartiest congratulations to all. Their awards and shortlistings are magnificent triumphs and we all share in their success."

Anyone interested in entering the North East England Tourism Awards 2007 should contact janet.smith@onenortheast.co.uk or call 0191 229 6842 for an application pack. The closing date for entries is the 18th of June.

For more information please contact: Stuart Boyd, press office, One NorthEast on Tel: (0191) 2296485
e-mail : stuart.boyd@onenortheast.co.uk

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