Tourism celebrates in style after two long years
Leading tourism businesses from across South West England were celebrated in style as over 90 awards were presented at the 2021/22 South West Tourism Excellence Awards.
The event was the first time since February 2020 that the region’s tourism awards have been able to return to their face-to-face format, with a celebratory dinner April enjoyed by over 300 winners, supporters and tourism leaders.
The awards saw 476 entries from the region including Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Bath, Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
The Awards, which themselves won a national accolade in 2021, achieving the ‘Outstanding’ accolade in the Awards Trust Mark scheme, are the culmination of 11 months of evidence gathering, online entry, judging and county awards. In what has been another difficult year for tourism they are recognised for their rigour and independence of judging. Over 70 judges spent months poring over entry submissions, websites, social media and review sites, as well as carrying out business visits, many of them mystery visits. Reports and recommendations were then submitted to an independent panel who made the final decisions.
All forms of hospitality business were amongst the winners, with cafes, pubs, cookery schools and sailing schools all celebrating alongside attractions, camping and glamping sites, holiday parks, B&Bs, cottages and hotels. Many have also been nominated to represent the South West in the national VisitEngland awards later in the year.
Jo Ecroyd, Customer Service Director of headline sponsor South West Water, said: “The South West is home to 860 miles of beautiful coastline and wonderful beaches which are major draws for the millions of visitors to our region each year. In 2021, for the first time ever, 100% of our classified coastal bathing waters passed stringent standards, meaning our regions beaches can proudly take their place as amongst the best in Europe. We are delighted to support the South West Tourism Awards which shine a spotlight on the best tourism businesses right across our region. The resilience and adaptability of the tourism industry over the last couple of years is inspirational, it is wonderful to be back together in person for this year’s Awards. Congratulations to all.”
Robin Barker, Director of Services for Tourism Ltd, who manage the Awards, added: “What a night! Tourism is known as ‘the happiness industry’ and last night showed everyone why, with friends, colleagues and competitors all reunited to join in the celebrations after two years of being kept apart. Congratulations to everyone who has continued to excel and innovate despite the countless hurdles.”
Co-Director Nell Barrington added: “I am so thrilled that we are all able to come together at Sandy Park for our first South West awards ceremony in two years. After such a terrible time for tourism, hospitality and indeed everyone it is great to be able to share the successes of all these amazing businesses in person. Congratulations to them all.”
2021/22 SOUTH WEST TOURISM AWARDS
WINNERS & COMMENDED (in alphabetic order)
Sponsored by South West Water
ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE TOURISM AWARD, sponsored by Soundview
Gold
· Mylor Sailing and Powerboat School, Cornwall, @mylorsailing
Silver
· WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Glos, @WWTSlimbridge
Bronze
· Leafy Fields Glamping, Devon, @LeafyFields
· Stonehenge, Wilts, @EH_Stonehenge
Commended
· Sara’s Cottage, Cornwall, @SarasCottage
· Seaton Tramway, Devon, @SeatonTramway
B&B AND GUESTHOUSE OF THE YEAR, sponsored by The Samphire Club
Gold
· The 25 Boutique B&B, Devon, @The25Torquay
Silver
· Chelsea House, Cornwall
Bronze
· Brightham House Boutique Bed and Breakfast, Devon, @BrighthamHouse
· St John’s Guest House, Dorset, @Fishersdream
BUSINESS EVENTS & WEDDING VENUE OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Clockwork Marketing
Gold
· Treseren, Cornwall, @TreserenC
Silver
· Highcliffe Castle, Dorset, @HighcliffeC
Bronze
· Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Wilts, @LucknamPark
· Marsham Court Hotel, Dorset, @MarshamCourt
CAFÉ/TEAROOM OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Granny Gothards
Gold
· Picnic Park Deli, Dorset @picnicparkdeli
Silver
· The Purplespoon Café, Somerset, @purplespoonage
Bronze
· The Nectary Restaurant, Devon, @quincehoneyfarm
CAMPING AND CARAVANNING PARK OF THE YEAR sponsored by Anytime Booking
Gold
· Monkton Wyld Holiday Park, Dorset, @Monkton_Wyld
Silver
· Trevalgan Touring Park, Cornwall, @trevalgan
Bronze
· South Lytchett Manor Caravan and Camping Park, Dorset, @campsitedorset
Commended
· Harford Bridge Holiday Park, Devon, @HarfordBridge
· Petruth Paddocks Campsite, Somerset, @Petruthcamping
CASUAL DINING AWARD, sponsored by NFU Mutual
Gold
· Bango Kitchen, Cornwall, @TheShellfishPig
Silver
· The Rockpool, Cornwall
Bronze
· The Coconut Tree, Bristol @CoconutTreeUK
· The Scallop Shell, Bath, @thescallopshell
DOG FRIENDLY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR, sponsored by VisitWest
Gold
· Gwelmor, Cornwall, @gwelmor
Silver
· Homewood, Bath, @homewoodbath
Bronze
· Kilminorth Cottages, Cornwall, @kilminorth
Commended
· eat:Festivals, @EatFestivals
ETHICAL, RESPONSIBLE & SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARD, sponsored by South West Water
Gold
· West Bay Discovery Centre, Dorset, @WestBayDC
Silver
· Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Devon, @RAMMuseum
Bronze
· Dorset Forest Garden Glamping, Dorset
· Whatley Manor Hotel and Spa, Wilts, @Whatley_Manor
Commended
· Holi Moli Beach Hut, Somerset, @DunsterBeachHut
· Little Gwendreath Holiday Cottages, Cornwall
EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR (ACTIVE OR LEARNING), sponsored by Beyonk
Gold
· Mylor Sailing and Powerboat School, Cornwall, @mylorsailing
Silver
· All Hallows Farmhouse Cookery School, Dorset
Bronze
· Bath Insider Tours – Tour of Bath, Bath, @bathinsidertour
· Jurassic Coast Guides, Dorset, @jurassicguides
Commended
· Crag 2 Mountain, Devon
· Mad Max Tours, Bath, @madmaxtours
· Shore Campers – Campervan Hire, Dorset, @ShoreCampers
GLAMPING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Anytime Booking
Gold
· Longlands Devon, Devon
Silver
· Brackenhill Glamping, Devon, @Brackenhill_G
Bronze
· Pengelly Retreat, Cornwall, @ruthie_pengelly
Commended
· Ekopod, Cornwall
· The Hudnalls Hideout, Glos
HOLIDAY PARK OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Stephens Scown solicitors
Gold
· Highlands End Holiday Park, Dorset, @WDLH
Silver
· Golden Cap Holiday Park, Dorset, @WDLH
· Warren Farm Holiday Centre, Somerset, @warren_farm
Bronze
· Cofton Holidays, Devon, @Cofton_Holidays
Commended
· Hoburne Devon Bay, Devon, @hoburneholidays
· Waterside Holiday Park & Spa, Dorset, @watersidedorset
LARGE HOTEL OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Hotel Perfect
Gold
· The Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa, Bath, @royalcrescent
Silver
· Carlyon Bay Hotel, Cornwall, @CarlyonBayHotel
Bronze
· Bowood Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort, Wilts, @BowoodUK
· Marsham Court Hotel, Dorset, @MarshamCourt
LARGE VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Love to Visit
Gold
· The Minack Theatre, Cornwall, @minacktheatre
Silver
· Moors Valley Country Park and Forest, Dorset, @moorsvalley
· Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, Somerset, @Noahs_Ark_Zoo
Bronze
· Dorset Museum, Dorset, @DorsetMuseum
NEW TOURISM BUSINESS AWARD, sponsored by PayDough.Me
Gold
· Three Mile Beach, Cornwall, @ThreeMileBeach
Silver
· Carey’s Secret Garden, Dorset @CareysSecret
Bronze
· Bear Town, Devon
· Higher Pendeen Camping, Cornwall
Commended
· Brackenhill Glamping, Devon, @Brackenhill_G
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO SOUTH WEST TOURISM, sponsored by The South West Tourism Alliance
· Kurt Janson, The Tourism Alliance, @tourismvoice
PUB OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Sea Arch
Gold
· The Cotley Inn, Somerset
Silver
· The Acorn Inn, Dorset, @Acorn_Inn
Bronze
· The Dartmoor Inn at Lydford, Devon
· The Swan, Wedmore, Somerset, @TheSwanWedmore
RESILIENCE AND INNOVATION AWARD, sponsored by Quality in Tourism
Gold
· Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park and Martha’s Orchard, Cornwall, @MotherIveysBay & @MarthasOrchard
Silver
· Exmoor Character Cottages, Somerset, @CottagesExmoor
Bronze
· Breaking Bread, Bristol, @BreadBristol
Commended
· Ocean Adventurers, Somerset
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Plymouth Gin
Gold
· The Idle Rocks Restaurant, Cornwall, @TheIdleRocks
Silver
· The Olive Tree Restaurant, Bath, @OliveTreeBath
Bronze
· Hotel Meudon, Cornwall, @MeudonHotel
· The Angel – Taste of Devon, Devon, @theangeldevon
SELF CATERING ACCOMMODATION OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Touch Stay
Gold
· The Cottages at Blackadon Farm, Devon
Silver
· Pitt Farm Holiday Cottages, Devon
Bronze
· Eco Chic Cottages – Culls Cottage, Glos, @EcoChicCottages
· Glynn Barton, Cornwall, @glynnbarton
Commended
· Bidwell Farm Cottages, Devon, @bidwellfarm
· Middlewick Holiday Cottages, Somerset, @TheMiddlewick
SMALL HOTEL OF THE YEAR, sponsored by pkf Francis Clark
Gold
· The Idle Rocks, Cornwall, @TheIdleRocks
Silver
· No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath
Bronze
· Cary Arms & Spa, Devon, @CaryArms
· Dunkery Beacon Country House Hotel, Somerset, @DunkeryBeaconCH
SMALL VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Pear Marketing
Gold
· Nothe Fort, Dorset, @NotheFort
Silver
· PK Porthcurno, Cornwall, @PKPorthcurno
Bronze
· Corinium Museum, Glos, @CoriniumMuseum
· No.1 Royal Crescent, Bath, @No1Museum
Commended
· Bear Town, Devon
· Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life, Devon, @TivertonMuseum
SPA & WELLBEING EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR, sponsored by The Eco Laundry
Gold
· St Michaels Resort, Cornwall, @stmichaelsresort
Silver
· Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa, Wilts, @LucknamPark
Bronze
· Lincombe Hall Hotel, Devon, @lincombe_hall
· No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath
Commended
· Salcombe Harbour Hotel & Spa, Devon, @Harbour_Hotels
TOURISM EVENT / FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Sunflower Social Media
Gold
· Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, Bristol, @bristolballoon
Silver
· Great Britain Sail Grand Prix, Devon, @visitplymouth
Bronze
· FORM – The Sculpture Exhibition: Sculpture by the Lakes, Dorset, @SculptureLakes
UNSUNG HERO AWARD, sponsored by Plymouth Britain’s Ocean City
· Ali Marshall, Torre Abbey, Devon, @TorreAbbey
· Christine Hughes, Moors Valley Country Park & Forest, Dorset, @moorsvalley
· Emma Fashokun, Cornish Gems, Cornwall, @Cornish_Gems
· Jake Tyler - Tropiquaria, Somerset @Tropiquaria_Zoo
VISITOR INFORMATION SERVICE OF THE YEAR in partnership with South West Coast Path Association
Gold
· Dartmoor National Park Visitor Centre - Princetown, Devon, @VisitDartmoor
Silver
· South Somerset Visitor Information Centre and Gift Shop, Somerset, @VisitSSomerset
Bronze
· Exmoor National Park Centre - Dunster, Somerset, @ExmoorNPCs
· Plymouth Tourist Information Centre, Devon, @visitplymouth
WATER CONSERVATION AWARD, sponsored by South West Water
· Treloy Touring Park, Cornwall
After such a terrible time for tourism, hospitality and indeed everyone it is great to be able to share the successes of all these amazing businesses in person. Congratulations to them all.
