News
Yorkshire hosts biggest tourism awards in the UK
More than 1,000 guests from Yorkshire’s tourism industry attended the UK’s biggest tourism event last night (Monday 10th October) – Welcome to Yorkshire’s White Rose Awards at Doncaster Racecourse.
Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) near Wakefield scooped the coveted Business Tourism Award at the race-themed evening which also featured a menu designed by Yorkshire’s Michelin Starred chefs, with guest presenters including TV news personality Christa Ackroyd.
The award caps a memorable year so far for the YSP, which saw visitor numbers up year on year for every month throughout the summer and Easter saw a 100% rise in visitors compared to the same time last year.
The awards recognise an industry which is bucking UK trends in both business and leisure tourism. Yorkshire hosted an average of 450 events in 2010, a 5% increase for the region from the 2009 figures compared to a 2% decrease nationally, whilst holiday visits to Yorkshire were up by 16% during January - May 2011 (compared to a 3% decrease nationally). The Independent Passenger Survey also revealed overseas visitor spend soared during the peak summer months, doubling from £33m to £59m in just two years.
Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “The awards evening highlights the success of our region even in such difficult economic times and our deserved winners showcase how this has been achieved.
“We are very fortunate in Yorkshire to be home to some amazing venues, hotels and attractions and it is the quality of all these that keeps people visiting time and time again, putting us on the map as a leading destination for leisure and business tourism.
“This year’s White Rose Awards have been a great success and the team at the racecourse provided us with exactly what we needed. Doncaster Racecourse did the tourism industry and Yorkshire proud!”
Yorkshire is the only UK county shortlisted in the forthcoming World Travel Awards against strong international competition from, to name a few, Las Vegas, India, New York, South Africa and the Maldives.
Other winners from last night’s ceremony include: the Crown Spa Hotel, Scarborough, winner of the Sustainable Tourism Award; Rudding Park, Harrogate, named the best Large Hotel in Yorkshire; The Black Swan at Oldstead collected the Yorkshire Restaurant of the Year accolade; and Faweather Grange near Ilkley picked up the award for best Caravan Holiday Park / Holiday Village.
For further information about holding your next conference or event in Yorkshire visit www.venueyorkshire.com
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Editors’ Notes:
- Welcome to Yorkshire is the official Destination Management Organisation for Yorkshire and the Humber region. It exists to represent and help generate sustainable business for the region's leisure and business tourism industry which is worth £7billion to the region annually.
- Welcome to Yorkshire is supported by Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency charged with improving the Yorkshire and Humber economy.
- Working closely with the four Conference Bureaux in the region: Conference Leeds, Sheffield Convention Bureau, York and Scarborough Conferences and Hull & East Yorkshire Conferences, Welcome to Yorkshire leads and co-ordinates the delivery of business tourism opportunities in the region.
- Yorkshire Business Tourism Facts & Figures:
- In 2008 business tourism generated a total of £1.6 billion turnover in the region, supporting over 70,000 jobs.
- Over 180,000 conferences and events attracted more than 10 million delegates.
- Yorkshire has over 440 conference venues, with 27 having capacity for more than 1,000 delegates.
For further media information please contact:
Victoria Sowerby – Welcome to Yorkshire
Email: victoria@bandhcommunications.co.uk
Direct Line: 0113 243 4713
Mobile – 07968 732630
Dee Marshall – Head of Communications, Welcome to Yorkshire
Email: dmarshall@yorkshire.com
Direct Line: 0113 322 3505
Mobile: 07950 325 901