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The Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award was awarded to ‘The Travel Agent’ in recognition of the outstanding and continued level of support from domestic travel trade in promoting the UK as a holiday destination, and to celebrate the high quality of service and knowledge they provide to customers when booking a UK break.
Last year VisitEngland launched the second pan UK Holidays at Home are GREAT campaign featuring the much-loved characters, Wallace & Gromit, aimed at encouraging Brits to book a holiday at home through their travel agent. A number of key operators and high street travel agents from across the country signed up to support the campaign with exciting British holiday packages and promotional activity. VisitEngland has teamed up with Wallace and Gromit again this year to launch the third pan-UK ‘Holidays at Home are GREAT’ campaign with a clear call to action to book a holiday at home through your travel agent – and with continued support from operators and high street travel agents.
VisitEngland Chairman Lady Cobham said: “The support we’ve had from domestic travel trade through their enthusiasm for our Holidays at Home is GREAT campaign has been fantastic. This prestigious award acknowledges this contribution and I thank them on behalf of the sector for helping to ensure tourism in this country thrives.”
Accepting the award on behalf of all travel agents, Noel Josephides, ABTA Chairman said: “As Chairman of ABTA, the UK’s largest travel trade association, I’m delighted to accept this award on behalf of the many travel businesses who promote and sell holidays in the UK. Domestic tourism plays a very important part in the tourism mix, along with overseas and inbound tourism, and it is very encouraging that travel agents have been recognised for their role in embracing the opportunities that the recent GREAT campaign has provided.”
Minister for Tourism Helen Grant said: “The tourism industry is playing a key part in our economic growth strategy and VisitEngland’s Awards for Excellence celebrates all the very best visitor experiences on offer and the hugely talented people working within the sector. Congratulations to domestic Travel Agents who have received the collective Outstanding Contribution Award and all the other winners who do a tremendous job in providing a warm welcome to visitors and delivering a first class product.”
Other awards announced at the ceremony in Cheltenham included the best Bed and Breakfast, Small Hotel, Tourism Experience, Tourism Pub of the Year, Taste of England, Sustainable Tourism, Business Tourism and Access for All Tourism Award.
The 31 Gold and Silver winners were selected by a panel of tourism industry experts and chaired by VisitEngland Board Member and Chief Executive of the Blenheim Estate in Oxfordshire, John Hoy.
This year’s celebrations also saw the presentation of the Tourism Superstar Award to Buzby Allen, an on –resort entertainer from Potters Resort in Hopton-on-Sea, Norfolk. Buzby came top in a public vote run by the national tourist board in partnership with the Daily Mirror which this year generated over 15,500 votes in total – a record since the competition started. Tourism Superstar seeks to recognise the dedication and passion of those working in the tourism industry, and is awarded to an individual who goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure visitors to England have a priceless experience.
An additional accolade was the award for Travel Article of the Year which went to Nigel Richardson for his article, “LS Lowry in the North East” in The Daily Telegraph.
VisitEngland chief executive James Berresford said: “The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence celebrates the very best in the tourism industry. It is the highest accolade in English Tourism and recognises the true champions of our industry, and the top quality visitor experiences we are fortunate to have on offer in England. The competition is of an increasingly high standard and so I offer my sincere congratulations to all our winners on this tremendous achievement, particularly the Gold Award winners for their exemplary contribution to tourism in this country.”
Sponsors for the awards include Travel GBI, British Beer & Pub Association (Tourism Pub of the Year Award), freetobook (Small Hotel of the Year Award), Chapel Down, Cottages4you (Self Catering Holiday of the Year Award), Quality in Tourism (Bed & Breakfast/Guest Accommodation of the Year), Welcome to Excellence (Tourism Experience of the Year), Guestlink (Visitor Information Provider of the Year) and Hudsons (Visitor information Provider of the Year).
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