Lancashire Tourism Awards 2015 – The Winners

On Thursday 5 November, The Empress Ballroom, Winter Gardens Blackpool was a stunning venue for Marketing Lancashire’s annual Lancashire Tourism Awards, supported by headline sponsor University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).

As winner of last year’s Lancashire Tourism Award for Cultural Venue, the Winter Gardens was a fitting location for the 600-strong audience to celebrate Lancashire’s tourism excellence and the £3.6billion contribution that the industry makes to the Lancashire economy.  It was hosted by Preston-born, TV journalist Ranvir Singh just a week after she received her own award for Media Personality of the Year at the Asian Media Awards. A proud Lancastrian, Ranvir was pleased to be named by Ruth Connor, Chief Executive of Marketing Lancashire as one of the organisation’s first high profile Lancashire Ambassadors.

Twenty of the county’s finest tourism businesses and a Tourism Superstar received awards for excellence in their field, with most of the Lancashire winners now having the opportunity to go on to represent Lancashire in the national Visit England Awards for Excellence 2016.

The Lancashire Tourism Awards began with a drinks reception in the Winter Gardens’ Floral Hall, sponsored by VisitBlackpool.  The event’s other sponsors included: ArranPaul, Blackpool Transport, Eviivo, Heart Radio, Lancashire Business View, Lancashire Evening Post, Lancashire Life, Links Signs and Graphics, Napthens Solicitors, Northern Print Distribution, Preston’s College, Total Foodservice, Virgin Trains and Workhouse Creative Marketing.

In her opening speech Ruth Connor, Chief Executive of Marketing Lancashire, said

 “Tourism is big business in Lancashire.  Importantly growth is being delivered with over 63 million visitors annually, a £3.6billion spend and over 56,000 jobs being supported by the visitor economy.

“We know we have a great tourism story to tell here in Lancashire that is absolutely first class. Our collective goal is simple, more interest and enquiries for Lancashire means more business being generated, a thriving visitor economy that is one of our biggest strengths here in the county.

“The aim is to grow the tourism sector in Lancashire to 70 million visitors by 2020, increase spend in the economy by ¾ billion pounds and deliver an additional 5000 jobs.”

“There is no better place to be than Lancashire which offers such a high level range and choice for our visitors and residents, that is continually evolving, improving and being invested in.”

The evening’s final award was for Tourism Superstar, with the winner decided by an online public vote hosted by Lancashire Evening Post; the Tourism Superstar award acknowledges an individual who has gone the ‘extra mile’ to enhance the visitor experience or has been an extraordinary ambassador for Lancashire tourism.  This year’s winner was none other than BBC Radio Lancashire’s John Gillmore, best known as ‘Gilly’.  Gilly has spent 30 years on Lancashire’s airwaves championing the county.  His afternoon programme is an out-and-out celebration of the best places, people and businesses the county has to offer.

Guests enjoyed a three course Lancashire-inspired dinner catered by Blackpool-based Rowley’s Offside, with a surprise additional cheese course supplied by three of the county’s finest Lancashire Cheese makers and included: Dewlay Gold Award winning Special Reserve Tasty Lancashire, Greenfields Dairy Supreme Champion 2015 International Cheese Awards, Crumbly Lancashire Cheese and Leagram Organic Dairy, gold award-winning Creamy Lancashire.  This award-winning Lancashire cheese plate was the same selection that Marketing Lancashire secured for a Northern England lunch held at The Harvard Club in New York in October.  Marketing Lancashire was in New York with other destination management organisations representing the North of England to leading travel writers in the USA. The evening's entertainment was provided by the University of Lancaster Music Society, Barbershop Group – Specs Appeal and Blackpool's Touch the Pearl.

See full list of winners below, highlighted in each category:

The Winners of the Lancashire Tourism Awards 2015

B&B/GUEST ACCOMMODATION AWARD* Sponsored by Heart FM
The Bromley, Blackpool
The Kings, Blackpool
The Millstone at Mellor – WINNER
No 1 Crow Wood, Burnley

HOLIDAY PARK/ HOLIDAY VILLAGE AWARD* Sponsored by Links Signs & Graphics
Bay View Holiday Park, Carnforth
Claylands Park, Garstang – WINNER
Sunset Park, Hambleton

SMALL HOTEL AWARD* Sponsored by Eviivo
Bartle Hall Hotel, Preston
The Shireburn Arms, Clitheroe
The Villa Country House Hotel, Wrea Green – WINNER

LARGE HOTEL AWARD* Sponsored by Headline Sponsor University of Central Lancashire
Barton Grange Hotel, Preston – WINNER
Best Western Mytton Fold Hotel and Golf Complex, Blackburn
The Dalmeny Resort Hotel, Lytham St Annes
Elgin Hotel, Blackpool
The Imperial Hotel, Blackpool
Macdonald Kilhey Court Hotel, West Lancashire
Macdonald Tickled Trout Hotel, Preston
Wrightington Hotel & Country Club, West Lancashire

SELF-CATERING HOLIDAY AWARD*
Breck Apartments, Poulton Le Fylde
Brickhouse Farm Holiday Cottages, Hambleton – WINNER
Queens Mansions, Burbage Holiday Lodge, Blackpool
Wolfen Mill Country Retreats, Chipping

CONFERENCE/MEETING VENUE AWARD* Sponsored by Preston’s College
Barton Grange Hotel, Preston
Brockholes Nature Reserve, Preston
Macdonald Kilhey Court Hotel, West Lancashire
West Lancashire Investment Centre, Skelmersdale
Winter Gardens Blackpool – WINNER

WEDDING VENUE AWARD Sponsored by Lancashire Life
Bartle Hall Hotel, Preston
Barton Grange Hotel, Preston
Browsholme Hall and Tithe Barn, Clitheroe
The Gibbon Bridge Hotel, Preston
The Midland, Morecambe
Mitton Hall, Whalley
The Villa Country House Hotel, Wrea Green – WINNER
West Tower Exclusive Venue, Ormskirk

TASTE LANCASHIRE AWARD* Sponsored by Total Foodservice
Aspect Bar and Bistro, Morecambe
The Bay Horse Inn, Lancaster
Bertram’s Restaurant, Burnley
The Fish House Fleetwood
La Locanda Ristorante Italiano, Gisburn – WINNER
The Midland, Morecambe
Twelve Restaurant and Lounge Bar, Thornton

TOURISM PUB AWARD* Sponsored by Napthens Solicitors
Assheton Arms, Clitheroe
The Cartford Inn, Little Eccleston – WINNER
Eagle and Child, Ramsbottom
The Sparrowhawk, Burnley

RETAIL EXPERIENCE AWARD
Cedar Farm, Mawdesley
Freeport Fleetwood
Heskin Farmers Market & Craft Centre, Chorley
Oswaldtwistle Mills – WINNER
Whalley Warm & Dry Ltd Outdoor Clothing & Footwear Specialist, Whalley 

TOURISM EVENT AWARD* Sponsored by ArranPaul
Blackpool Dance Festival
Chorley Flower Show
Countryside Comes to Town, Blackburn
The Dukes Park Show, Lancaster
Fleetwood Festival of Transport
Lancashire Science Festival, Preston
Lancaster Music Festival
The Lightpool Project, Blackpool
Light Up Lancaster
Lytham 1940s Wartime Festival 2015
Lytham Festival – WINNER
Tour of Britain Stage Two, Clitheroe to Colne

SMALL VISITOR ATTRACTION AWARD* Sponsored by Northern Print Distribution
Browsholme Hall, Clitheroe
Carnforth Station Heritage Centre
The Grand Theatre, Blackpool
Leighton Hall, Carnforth
St Annes Beach Huts, Lytham St Annes – WINNER
The Woodland Spa, Burnley

LARGE VISITOR ATTRACTION AWARD*
Blackpool Zoo, Blackpool – WINNER
Brockholes Nature Reserve, Preston
Farmer Ted’s Farm Park, Ormskirk
Oswaldtwistle Mills
Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool

CULTURAL VENUE/ORGANISATION AWARD Sponsored by Workhouse Creative Marketing

The Dukes, Lancaster
The Grand Theatre, Blackpool
Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool
Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston
The Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery, Rossendale – WINNER
Winter Gardens Blackpool

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARD* Sponsored by Lancashire Evening Post

Best Western Mytton Fold Hotel and Golf Complex, Blackburn
Browsholme Hall, Clitheroe – WINNER
Mrs Dowsons, Clayton-le-Dale

ACCESS FOR ALL AWARD* Sponsored by Blackpool Transport
Brickhouse Farm Holiday Cottages, Hambleton – WINNER
Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool
Wheels for All, Lancashire

LUXURY EXPERIENCE AWARD
Breck Apartments, Poulton Le Fylde
Lady Teal, Burnley – WINNER
The Woodland Spa, Burnley

VISITOR EXPERIENCE AWARD* Sponsored by Headline Sponsor University of Central Lancashire
Bay Cycle Way, Morecambe – WINNER
Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours
Blackpool Resort Pass
Farmaggedon, Ormskirk
Footgolf at Best Western Mytton Fold Hotel and Golf Complex, Blackburn

CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD Sponsored by Virgin Trains
Barton Grange Hotel, Preston – WINNER
Best Western Mytton Fold Hotel and Golf Complex, Blackburn
Go Ape Rivington
Lancaster and Morecambe Visitor Information Centres
Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool
VisitBlackpool Tourist Information Centre
Visit Garstang Centre

NEW BUSINESS AWARD Sponsored by Lancashire Business View
Aspinall Arms, Clitheroe
The Dearden Tea Rooms, Haslingden – WINNER
Guild Promotions, Preston
The Higher Buck, Clitheroe
The Hunters, Preston

BEST FOR GROUPS AWARD Sponsored by VisitBlackpool
Clifton Park Hotel, Lytham St Annes
Impact Blackpool
Leighton Hall, Carnforth
Oswaldtwistle Mills – WINNER

*Winners in these award categories will have the opportunity to go forward to represent Lancashire at the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2016.

 <<ENDS>>

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Anna Izza, Head of PR and Communications   Tel: 01772 426 459                                  

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