Yorkshire Tourism Industry Celebrates Excellence
The White Rose Awards, run by tourism agency Welcome to Yorkshire is widely recognised as the most spectacular tourism event of the year. The Awards, a celebration of excellence in the tourism industry, was held at the Royal Armouries in Leeds on 19 October.
This site will be regularly updated with news on the White Rose Awards, however for further media information please contact Lucy Allen on 0113 322 3563 or email lallen@yorkshire.com.
| Press Releases |
Tourism's cream of the crop announced - 24 August 2009
Finalists for the White Rose Awards announced as tickets go on sale for the awards ceremony
Following a record number of entries received in this year's White Rose Awards, organiser Welcome to Yorkshire has revealed the hotly anticipated finalist list.
The eagerly awaited list boasts 71 of Yorkshire's best attractions, hotels, venues and individuals from the tourism industry. The list covers 15 categories (*categories and finalists listed at end), the winners from which will be announced at the glittering black-tie awards ceremony on the evening of 19 October at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.
Admitting what a tough job she had, the newly appointed independent Chair of Judges, Barbara Woroncow OBE complimented the standard of 2009's finalists, "The shortlisting for this year’s White Rose Awards has been very hard as we are dealing with an incredibly high calibre. The finalist list is a fabulous representation of Yorkshire’s finest and represents the multifaceted tourism industry which can now be found in Yorkshire, from one of the oldest hotels in the UK to modern art in West Yorkshire. The White Rose Awards 2009 is set to be a truly Yorkshire event as our entrants also span the whole breadth of the region, from Whitby to Sheffield and Halifax to Hull."
Tickets for the White Rose Awards go on sale on 24 August 2009 and the seventy-one finalists will be on the edge of their seats as the winners are announced in front of an estimated 800 guests at what Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, has promised will be the most spectacular Awards yet.
Gary Verity said "With a new category, Tourism Event of the Year, and a record number of entries, this year's White Rose Awards is looking like the best yet. The awards are also a powerful opportunity to highlight the major part these individuals and organisations play in our economy."
All winners from the national categories are automatically entered into the national Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2010. Last year Yorkshire scored a hat trick, beating off hundreds of national attractions. Gold awards were scooped by Harewood House (Visitor Attraction of the Year – over 50,000 visitors), Noelle’s Cottages (Self-Catering Holiday of the Year) and The Pipe and Glass Inn (Taste of England Award).
The categories range from Visitor Attraction of the Year and Taste of Yorkshire Award, to Sustainable Tourism Award and Yorkshire Pub of the Year with a new category, Tourism Event of the Year, announced for 2009. Previous winners include The Durham Ox, Crayke, Thorpe Park Hotel, Leeds, and Wentworth Castle Gardens & Stainborough Park, Barnsley.
People interested in attending the awards should visit www.whiteroseawards.com, email whiteroseawards@yorkshire.com or call 0113 322 3508. Tickets will cost £48.50 (inc VAT).
-Ends-
*White Rose Awards 2009 finalists:
WHITE ROSE AWARDS 2009
Best Tourism Experience of the Year
Dalby Go Ape!, Thornton le Dale, Pickering
Northern Star Steam and Motor Carriage Co, Whitby
SNO!zone, Castleford
York Maze, York
The Railway Children produced by York Theatre Royal and performed at The National Railway Museum
Yorkshire Pub of the Year
The Blue Bell Inn, Weaverthorpe, Malton
The Copper Horse Restaurant, Seamer, Scarborough
The Dog & Gun, Sutton in Craven, Keighley
The Rose & Crown, Sutton on the Forest, York
Ye Old Sun Inn, Colton, Tadcaster
Business Tourism Award of the Year
Harrogate International Centre, Harrogate
National Media Museum, Bradford
Sheffield City Hall, Sheffield
The Queens, Leeds
The Spa, Bridlington
Caravan Holiday Park & Holiday Village Award
Jasmine Park, Snainton, Scarborough
Lebberston Touring Park, Lebberston, Scarborough
Blue Sky Resorts Ltd – Nostell Priory Holiday Park, Wakefield
Burton Constable Holiday Park & Arboretum, Sproatley, Hull
Guest Accommodation of the Year
17 Burgate, Pickering
Clow Beck House, Croft on Tees
Cundall Lodge Farm, Cundall, York
Low Penhowe, Burythorpe, Malton
The Wold Cottage, Wold Newton, Driffield
Access for All Tourism Award
Bradford Theatres, Bradford
The Yorkshire Waterways Museum, Goole
Hotel of the Year (under 50 bedrooms)
Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa, Helmsley
Hazlewood Castle, Tadcaster
Holdsworth House Hotel, Halifax
Swinton Park, Swinton, Masham
The Wentbridge House Hotel, Wentbridge, Pontefract
Hotel of the Year (35 bedrooms & over)
Best Western, Mount Pleasant Hotel, Doncaster
De Vere Oulton Hall, Oulton
Great Victoria, Bradford
Malmaison, Leeds
York Marriott Hotel, York
Outstanding Customer Service Award
Tina Coates, Richmond TIC, Richmond
Rasim Dervisevic, Royal Armouries (International) Plc, Leeds
Linda Banks, Wakefield TIC, Wakefield
Self Catering/Serviced Apartments Award
Cherrygarth Cottages, Slingsby, Malton
Faweather Grange, High Eldwick
Higher Scholes Cottage Holidays, Oakworth, Keighley
Residence 6, Leeds
Smallshaw Farm Cottages, Millhouse Green, Sheffield
York Luxury Holidays, York
Sustainable Tourism Award
Crown Spa Hotel, Scarborough
Dalby The Great Yorkshire Forest, Thornton le Dale, Pickering
Swinton Park, Swinton, Masham
The Dovecote Barns, Kelfield, York
Waterton Park Hotel & Walton Hall, Walton, Wakefield
Taste of Yorkshire Award
The General Tarleton, Ferrensby, Knaresborough
Green’s Restaurant, Whitby
Low Penhowe, Burythorpe, Malton
Meltons Too, York
The Star Inn, Harome, Helmsley
West Winds Yorkshire Tearooms, Buckden, Skipton
Tourism Event of the Year
Royal Armouries – The Arms & Armour from the Movies Exhibition, Leeds
Wakefield Council – Wakefield Food, Drink & Rhubarb Festival, Wakefield
York Museums Trust – The Grand Tour, York
Lightwater Valley Shopping Village – Dickensian Festival, Ripon
Visitor Attraction of the Year (under 50,000 visitors)
Barley Hall, York
British Waterways – Standedge Tunnel & Visitor Centre, Huddersfield
English Heritage – Rievaulx Abbey, Helmsley
Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, York
Ripley Castle, Ripley
Visitor Attraction of the Year (50,000 visitors & over)
Dalby The Great Yorkshire Forest, Dalby, Pickering
Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, Ripon
Magna Science Adventure Centre, Rotherham
National Railway Museum York
The Deep, Hull
Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield
For further media information please contact:
Beverley Richmond - Press Officer
Email: brichmond@yorkshire.com
Tel: 0113 3223507
Lucy Allen - Press Officer
Email: lallen@yorkshire.com
Tel: 0113 3223563
Mobile: 07968 145611