Cumbria Tourism announce 2017 Award Winners

Tourism Event of the Year Go Herdwick Public Art Trail Sean Day, Sam Bunting, Justin Farnan, Sarah Glover (Cumbria Tourism)

[C]umbria Tourism – the official destination marketing organisation for the county’s £2.72 billion tourism industry – has revealed the winners of the 15th Cumbria Tourism Awards at a prestigious black tie award ceremony held at Cartmel Racecourse.

The evening celebrated the very best of Cumbria’s tourism industry with hundreds of tourism professionals representing businesses from around the county.

Winners were announced by Cally Beaton, a woman of many talents, including comedian, Viacom International Senior Vice-President, founder of Road Trip Media, executive coach and single parent to two teenagers

The Cumbria Tourism Awards celebrate the huge range and diversity of Cumbria’s tourism industry and are open to a whole range of tourism related businesses including; hotels, B&Bs, holiday parks, pubs, visitor attractions, events, businesses and tourism staff, which make up the county’s successful tourism industry.

Most of the winners from the awards will go on to represent the county at the Visit England Awards for Excellence in 2018.

Each category winner received a certificate and a specially commissioned award handcrafted by award-winning architectural and sculptural metalworkers Chris Brammall Ltd in Ulverston.

This year, in addition to the awards, the 2017 Bernard Gooch Tourism Personality of the Year Award was awarded to Ian Stephens, Managing Director of Cumbria Tourism, for the outstanding personal contribution he has made to Tourism in Cumbria.

The award presented by Cumbria Tourism’s Executive Committee recognises those who have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to the visitor economy and reputation of The Lake District, Cumbria. Recent previous winners include farmer and author James Rebanks, Paul Loftus, the organiser of the annual Fred Whitton Challenge cycling event the renowned Cumbrian chef Simon Rogan and Nigel Wilkinson, Managing Director of Windermere Lake Cruises.

Ian Stephens, Managing Director of Cumbria Tourism, said: “I would like to thank everyone who was involved in making last night such a fantastic success and came together to celebrate Cumbria’s £2.72 billion tourism industry. The 2017 winners and finalists represent the very best of what Cumbria has to offer and we should all be very proud of the outstanding product we have here in Cumbria. The range of exceptional quality available keeps us firmly on the global map as a world class visitor destination and with World Heritage inscription soon to be unveiled we need to keep up the investment and maximise the new opportunities that are just around the corner. On a personal note, I was pleasantly surprised and honoured to receive the Bernard Gooch award and I’m proud to be recognised by my peers in this way.”

Cumbria Tourism would like to thank their sponsors for making the event possible, they include: Lamont Pridmore, Out of Eden, Colourmedia, Christie & Co, Enterprise Answers, Chris Brammall Ltd, Kendal College, NatWest Commercial Banking, H&H Reeds, Armstrong Watson, Colliers International, University of Cumbria, Burnetts Solicitors, Cumberland Business, Brakes and One Cost, Ambience Venue Styling, Lakeland Chauffeurs, Campbell & Rowley Corporate Catering and Cartmel Racecourse.

The 2017 winners are: