High Hopes for South West finalists.

Nine tourism organisations in the South West have reached the finals of this year's coveted Enjoy England Awards for Excellence.  The shortlisted finalists have successfully made it through the preliminary judging session held on 10th February and will now have to wait until 15th April to know if they are winners.

The shortlisted finalists had already won Gold Awards in their respective categories in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards, announced in November 2010 and  sponsored by Blue Chip Vacations and South West Water.  They then succeeded in getting through a judging process that whittled down the 126 regional winners to a final shortlist of 54 finalists.

In the Enjoy England Excellence finals are:

Access for All Tourism Award:          
Colston Hall, Bristol
www.colstonhall.org.uk

Best Tourism Experience:
Global Boarders, Cornwall
www.globalboarders.com

Large Hotel:
Bovey Castle Country House Hotel, Devon
www.boveycastle.com

Outstanding Customer Service:
Sarah Lee at the Big Sheep, Devon
www.thebigsheep.co.uk

Self Catering Holiday of the Year:
Millbrook Cottages, Devon
www.millbrookcottages.co.uk

Sustainable Tourism Award:
RED Hotels, Cornwall (Bedruthan Steps and Scarlet)
www.bedruthan.com

Taste of England Award:
Porthminster Beach Café, Cornwall
www.porthminstercafe.co.uk

Best Tourism Event:
The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, Gloucestershire
www.cheltenhamfestival.com

Tourist Information Service:
Gloucester Tourist Information Centre
www.gloucester.gov.uk

The South West's finalists will now find themselves competing against big tourism names such as Chatsworth House, the Manchester Central Convention Complex, Royal Ascot and The Langham Hotel in London.

Alistair Handyside, South West Tourism Chair, welcomed the good news, "Each and every one of these tourism organisations has worked incredibly hard to reach this stage.  Like many of our tourism businesses they recognise that success, in these challenging times, will be led by a determination to exceed customer expectations."

South West Water Chief Executive Chris Loughlin said: "It's great to see the South West fighting to confirm its reputation as the UK's leading tourism region in the national awards.  Our investment in cleaning up beaches and protecting the region's  environment  over the last 20 years may have played a small part in helping tourism businesses succeed but the but the real number one reason is the outstanding hospitality offered by the South West's people."

Alan Taylor, Managing Director of Blue Chip Holidays, said: "The West Country looks set to prove once again that it has a calibre of attractions, accommodation providers and tourism focused businesses that can rival any nationally or internationally.  By reaching the finals these businesses are reflecting the high level of attention to detail, style and quality that exists in the South West and that visitors can expect when they stay in our incredibly beautiful region".  Our congratulations go to these finalists and we wish them every success on the big night in April."

Award winners will be announced at a ceremony on 15th April at the Great Hall in Birmingham.

Date added: Tuesday 22nd February 2011
Latest updated: Thursday 8th March 2012