The £2.9billion tourism industry of Cumbria has celebrated only recently at a scintillating awards ceremony took place at Cartmel Racecourse.
Over 400 guests participated for the Cumbria Tourism Awards, arranged by Alan ‘Deadly’ Dedicoat – best-known as the National Lottery’s ‘Voice of the Balls’.
Winners in the main 18 categories were as follows:
- Large Hotel of the Year (35+ rooms)
- North Lakes Hotel & Spa, Penrith
- Small Hotel of the Year
- Rothay Garden Hotel, Grasmere
- Boutique Guest Accommodation of the Year
- Lindeth Fell Country House, Windermere
- Bed and Breakfast of the Year
- Raise View, Grasmere
- Self-Catering Holiday Provider of the Year
- Iconic collection Whitbarrow Village, near Penrith
- Self-Catering Holiday Property of the Year
- Heart of the Lakes – Bristowe Hill, Keswick
- Holiday Park of the Year
- The Quiet Site, Ullswater
- Visitor Attraction of the Year
- Senhouse Roman Museum, Maryport
- Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
- Lowther Castle & Gardens
- Tourism Pub of the Year
- Dockray Hall, Penrith
- Taste Cumbria
- Merewood Country House Hotel, Windermere
- Sustainable Tourism Award
- Upfront Arts Venue, near Penrith
- Culture & Heritage Experience of the Year
- Blackwell, The Arts & Crafts House, Bowness-on-Windermere
- Adventure Experience of the Year
- Cyclewise Whinlatter
- Tourism Event of the Year
- Westmorland County Show, Crooklands
- Wedding Venue of the Year
- Broadoaks Country House, Windermere
- New Tourism Business Award
- Another Place, The Lake, Ullswater
- The Sheila Hensman Award for Outstanding Customer Service
In history, for the first time, there was a three-way tie for a Cumbria Tourism Award, identifying the outstanding levels of customer service and excellence in this category:
- Rachel Dunckley – Hazelbank Country House Hotel, Borrowdale Valley
- Victoria Blanco – Treetop Trek, Windermere
- Christine Brown – Castle Green Hotel, Kendal
