Hotel inspector Alex Polizzi presents VisitEngland Awards for Excellence to Farm Cottages of Poulton-le-Fylde
and live on Freeview channel 276
A LANCASHIRE provider of holiday cottages took home a top award presented by the TV’s The Hotel Inspector.
The national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, held at Warner Bros, Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, saw Lancashire’s only successful finalist in these national awards, Brickhouse Farm Cottages of Poulton-Le-Fylde, won the Silver Award for Accessible and Inclusive Tourism.
The ceremony was hosted by TV’s The Hotel Inspector, the esteemed hotelier and businesswoman Alex Polizzi.
Brickhouse Farm Cottages won the Lancashire Tourism Award 2022 for Accessible and Inclusive Tourism which allowed their progression to the national awards.
The prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, running for more than 30 years and in 2023 sponsored by the Caravan and Motorhome Club, celebrate and champion innovation, quality and best practice across the industry recognising businesses and individuals who raise the bar of England’s tourism offer.
Andrew Stokes, VisitEngland Director said: “It is fantastic to come together as an industry to celebrate our world-class tourism businesses. Competition this year was fierce with customer service excellence evident across every category, thanks to the passion and dedication of individuals.
“From an outdoor theatre in Suffolk to a boutique B&B in Essex, from an arboretum museum in Staffordshire, a zoo farm in Bristol, to island boat tours in Northumberland, this year’s awards also showcase the wonderful range of quality tourism products on offer across England.“I congratulate all the winners and especially those who won Gold, an achievement cementing their place as the country’s crème de la crème, standard-bearers for England’s tourism industry.”
In addition to the 16 core categories award winners, four special awards were also presented this year including an ‘Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award,’ a ‘Travel Content Award’, a ‘Tourism Superstar Award’ and a ‘TXGB Trailblazer Award’.
The Tourism Superstar Award went to Geoff Colvin. Geoff, a volunteer stationmaster at the Kent and East Sussex Railway, was the winner of the VisitEngland Tourism Superstar 2023 run in partnership with the Mirror, following a public vote and competition earlier this year.
The Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award went to ‘England’s Coast’ in recognition of its valuable role in boosting domestic and inbound tourism to England.
The Travel Content Award, which recognises the media’s important contribution in championing domestic tourism, was won by Alicia Miller of The Independent with her story ‘How to do a classic Cotswolds weekend, car-free.’
The TXGB Trailblazer Award went to Red Funnel, Isle of Wight, in recognition of its efforts in driving inbound bookings through the business-to-business platform, also benefitting the domestic market.
Tourism is one of England’s largest and most valuable industries, supporting hundreds of thousands of businesses, employing about 2.6 million people and, in 2019, generating £76 billion in domestic visitor spending.
Applications have now opened for this year’s tourism and hospitality businesses to enter the Lancashire Tourism Awards 2023 Lancashiretourismawards.com
The full list of VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2023 winners:
Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award:
GOLD Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, Bristol www.noahsarkzoofarm.co.uk
SILVER Brickhouse Farm Holiday Cottages & Lakeside Hub, Lancashire www.brickhousecottages.co.uk
BRONZE WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Gloucestershire www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/slimbridge
B&B and Guest House of the Year:
GOLD Piglets Boutique B&B, Essex www.piglets.co.uk
SILVER Cedar Manor, Cumbriawww.cedarmanor.co.uk
BRONZE Sunnyside Guest House, Merseyside www.sunnysidesouthport.co.uk
Business Events Venue of the Year:
GOLD National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire www.thenma.org.uk/hold-your-event/the-aspects-building
SILVER Imago Venues, Leicestershire www.imagovenues.co.uk
BRONZE The ICC Birmingham, West Midlands www.theicc.co.uk
Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year:
GOLD The Quiet Site, Cumbria www.thequietsite.co.uk
SILVER Brook Meadow, Leicestershire www.brookmeadow.co.uk
BRONZE Hendra Holiday Park, Cornwall www.Hendra-holidays.com
Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award:
GOLD Pure Outdoor, Derbyshire www.pureoutdoor.co.uk
SILVER National Forest EBike Holidays, Leicestershire www.ebikeholiday.co.uk
BRONZE The Cottages at Blackadon Farm, Devon www.cottagesatblackadonfarm.co.uk
Experience of the Year:
GOLD Grey Seal and Seabird Cruise, Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours, Northumberland www.farneislandstours.co.uk
SILVER Make Your Own Gin Experience, Shed 1 Gin Distillery, Cumbria www.shed1distillery.com
BRONZE Peak District Walking Experience, myGuidedWalks, Derbyshire www.myguidedwalks.co.uk
Large Hotel of the Year:
GOLD Titanic Hotel Liverpool, Merseyside www.titanichotelliverpool.com
SILVER Bowood Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort, Wiltshire www.bowood.org/hotel
BRONZE Rockliffe Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort, County Durham www.rockliffehall.com
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year:
GOLD Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter, Hertfordshirewww.wbstudiotour.co.uk
SILVER Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire www.blenheimpalace.com
BRONZE International Bomber Command Centre, Lincolnshire www.internationalbcc.co.uk
New Tourism Business of the Year:
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