Lancashire Hails Tourism Champions

The winners of the Lancashire Tourism Awards 2012/13 were announced last night (Thursday 13 September 2012) at the Guild Hall, Preston in the first formal event organised by Marketing Lancashire, the new company charged with promoting the county as a great place to visit, work, invest and live in.

The evening was hosted by guest presenter and design supremo, Wayne Hemingway MBE, hot on the heels of his triumphant Vintage Weekend (1 & 2 September), part of the Preston Guild 2012. Marketing Lancashire commissioned a short film by The Reel Business which premiered at the Lancashire Tourism Awards, celebrating the style, energy and fashion of Preston’s Vintage Guild Weekend. To view click here.

The Lancashire Tourism Awards saw new Chief Executive, Ruth Connor, outline the developing role of Marketing Lancashire and the need for the tourism industry to take pride in the significant contribution that it makes to the local economy.

“If Lancashire is confident and effective in the way it defines and promotes itself to visitors and potential investors, then the benefits for local businesses, their employees and communities will be considerable”

“We need to challenge ourselves, to think differently, to drive innovation and to be enterprising in what we do now and in what we do going forward.”

New Chair of the Board, Paul Heathcote MBE, was also on hand to present the Special Recognition Award; an award made to one of the industry’s unsung heroes whose contribution to the industry is invaluable.

This year the award went to Simon Entwistle who has helped establish the county’s dark tourism product, with his ghost and heritage tours across Lancashire.  In this year especially,  he has worked tirelessly with a number of partners to raise the profile of the 400th Anniversary of the Lancashire Witch Trials and to generate substantial media attention.

Marketing Lancashire also recognised the achievements of two national winners who went on from last year’s local awards, to win Gold at this year’s national Enjoy England Excellence Awards: Michael Gore of the Best Western Premier Leyland, national winner of the Outstanding Customer Service Award 2012 and James Gray, owner of England’s Best B&B 2012,  The Ashton, Lancaster.

This year’s Lancashire Tourism Awards saw 16 trophies handed to a range of businesses across the county, including the new category of Tourism Pub of the Year, with nine of the finalists also receiving Highly Commended recognition.

The Winners of the Lancashire Tourism Awards 2012/13

A full list of all finalists with the winner in each category highlighted follows:

Bed & Breakfast/Guest Accommodation of the Year
Broadgate Farm B&B, Bleasdale – Highly Commended
The Cartford Inn, Little Eccleston
Mode, Lytham St Annes
Number One St Luke’s, Blackpool – WINNER    

Small Hotel of the Year
Bartle Hall Hotel, Preston
The Millstone at Mellor – Highly Commended
Northcote, Langho – WINNER
Penny Street Bridge, Lancaster
    
Large Hotel of the Year  – Sponsored by UCLAN
Best Western Premier Leyland Hotel
Big Blue Hotel, Blackpool
Dalmeny Hotel, St Annes on Sea – WINNER
Lancaster House Hotel

Caravan Holiday Park & Holiday Village Award     
Carr Royd Parks/Sunset Park, Hambleton – WINNER
Hackings Caravan Park, Clitheroe – Highly Commended

Self Catering Award        
Brontё School House, Cowan Bridge
Cleveleymere, Forton – Highly Commended
Cross Farm Holiday Cottages, Downholland – WINNER

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year     
Cobble Hey Farm and Gardens, Garstang
Museum of Lancashire, Preston – WINNER
Old Holly Farm, Garstang
Samlesbury Hall

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year – Sponsored by PANNONE    
Blackpool Pleasure Beach – Highly Commended
Farmer Ted’s Farm Park, Ormskirk
Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool – WINNER
WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre, Burscough

Best Visitor Experience of the Year – Sponsored by LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Nigel Haworth’s Fantastic Food Show, Blackburn
Farmaggedon, Ormskirk – WINNER
Go Ape! Rivington
Treasure Trails Lancashire – Highly Commended

Business Tourism Award – Sponsored by LEONARD DEWS, Jewellers
Best Western Premier Leyland Hotel
Browsholme Hall and Tithe Barn, Clitheroe
Northcote at the Rovers, Blackburn
University of Central Lancashire, Preston – WINNER

Tourism Pub of the Year – Sponsored by FIDDLER’S LANCASHIRE CRISPS 
The Cartford Inn, Little Eccleston
The Highwayman, Burrow
The Millstone at Mellor – WINNER
Redwell Country Inn and Restaurant, Arkholme
  
Sustainable Tourism Award – Sponsored by BLACKPOOL & THE FYLDE COLLEGE 
Cobble Hey Farm and Gardens, Garstang
Hackings Caravan Park, Clitheroe
Ribby Hall Village, Wrea Green
WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre, Burscough – WINNER

Access for All Tourism Award       
Cobble Hey Farm and Gardens, Garstang – Highly Commended
Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool – WINNER

Visitor Information Provider Award – Sponsored by NORTHERN PRINT DISTRIBUTION
Blackburn Visitor Centre
Visit Garstang Centre – WINNER
Lancaster Visitor Information Centre
Morecambe Visitor Information Centre

Taste Lancashire Award – Sponsored by TOTAL FOOD SERVICE
The Cartford Inn, Little Eccleston
The Clog and Billycock, Blackburn
The Millstone at Mellor – Highly Commended
Redwell Country Inn and Restaurant, Arkholme – WINNER

Marketing Campaign of the Year – Sponsored by WORKHOUSE CREATIVE MARKETING  
The Blackpool Tower Eye, launch campaign
Madame Tussauds, Blackpool, launch campaign – WINNER
The Mall Blackburn, re-development campaign
Museum of Lancashire, Preston, re-opening campaign – Highly Commended

Special Recognition Award
Pat Ascroft, Volunteer Ranger and Friend of Garstang Walking Festival
Simon Entwistle, Tour Guide, Top Hat Tours – WINNER
Nora Lightbown, House Supervisor, Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool

Marketing Lancashire would like to thank all the sponsors who supported the awards and the following for making the event so special: Flowers by Sonja, Holiday Inn, Preston; Sophisticated Events, Virgin Trains and Young Guild Singer, Olivia Singleton for entertaining guests during the drinks reception. 

Media enquiries: Anna Izza, Communications Manager, Marketing Lancashire
01772 426 459 or [email protected]

Notes to Editors

1. Marketing Lancashire is the new name for Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board (from 1st April 2012)
Our activities in marketing and communications, commercial membership, `Welcome to Excellence` training and place marketing are all designed to grow the visitor economy and develop the destination as a great place to visit, live and work.

In 2010 the Lancashire attracted 60 million visitors who contributed £3.25 billion to the local economy and helped support 55,227 jobs.