Author: Chris

Gold Winner for Experience of the Year at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2023 – Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours. Image credit: VisitBritain/Daniela Luquini

Four North East tourism businesses have been recognised at the national tourism awards which took place on 7 June at the Warner Bros Studio Tour London.  

Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours and Kidlandlee Holiday Cottages were presented Gold awards, Silver went to Langley Castle Hotel and Rockliffe Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort was awarded a Bronze in the prestigious national finals.  

The four finalists were selected after winning Gold at the North East England Tourism Awards in March.   

NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI) was also awarded Silver in the new TXGB Trailblazer Award for its New Adventures website – a campaign funded by North of Tyne Combined Authority and led by NGI in partnership with Visit Northumberland and North Tyneside Council.  

Representatives from businesses and organisations within the North East tourism sector attended the black tie ceremony. 

In the Experience of the Year category, the Grey Seal and Seabird Cruise by Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours, Northumberland took home the Gold Award. They were competing against Peak District Walking Experience, myGuidedWalks, and Make Your Own Gin Experience, Shed 1 Gin Distillery, Cumbria.  

Kidlandlee Holiday Cottages, Northumberland, scooped up Gold in the Self Catering Accommodation of the Year category against Eaton Manor Country Estate, Shropshire and The Dovecote Barns, North Yorkshire.   

Langley Castle Hotel, Northumberland was awarded the Silver Award in the Resilience and Innovation category. And Rockliffe Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort, Co. Durham won Bronze for Large Hotel of the Year.  

The TXGB Trailblazer category recognises businesses that work with TXGB, VisitEngland’s booking platform.  

NGI was recognised for the North of Tyne Combined Authority funded New Adventures Project which was launched last year to enable people to understand the diversity of the regional tourism offer and directly book brilliant experiences in Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland in one place.  

A further recognition for the region was given through the Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award, which was given to England’s Coast, which included Northumberland.   

Sarah Green, chief executive of NewcastleGateshead Initiative, said:

“I was so proud and thrilled to attend the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence last night and see these incredible businesses being recognised first-hand.  

“These winners are a vital part of the fantastic tourism offer the North East has and are a wonderful example for us all. I am so pleased their hard work, dedication and passion for their place is being celebrated. These awards give us a national platform from which to project our incredible region and its wonderful tourism businesses.  

“I am also delighted that the New Adventures campaign, funded by North of Tyne Combined Authority, has been recognised with a Silver Award. Collaboration is a hugely important component to the activity we do at NGI and working with platforms such as TXGB enables us to promote our region to an even broader and diverse audience. It has allowed us to showcase the wealth of activities and choice available for visitors, enhancing their overall experience even further.  

“And as the new Destination Development Partnership pilot, NGI has set ambitious targets to double the size of the tourism sector in the next ten years – offering more jobs, decarbonising the offer, ensuring an accessible and inclusive welcome for all and creating year-round demand. Businesses such as the ones recognised tonight and at the North East England Tourism Awards held earlier this year, will be vital allies in this goal and we are very lucky to have them as champions.” 

Andrew Douglas from Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours and Gold Award winner, said:

“We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our exceptional staff members. This achievement is a testament to their unwavering dedication, passion, and hard work. Each member of our team has played a pivotal role in creating unforgettable experiences for our guests, and without them, this accomplishment would not have been possible. From our knowledgeable guides to our friendly support staff, every individual has contributed their unique talents, making Serenity a place of wonder and joy.” 

Teresa Stock, Owner/ Manager at Kidlandlee Holiday Cottages and Gold Award winner, said:

“Our team has worked very hard to create a unique off-grid experience within the beauty of the upper Coquet Valley. Sustainable tourism is at the heart of what we do, and we are delighted to be being this prestigious award home to the North East.”   

Applications for North East Tourism Awards 2024 later this month.   

For more information on the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence please visit here.  

Four North East tourism businesses have been selected to represent the region at the national tourism awards.  

Rockliffe Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort, Langley Castle Hotel, Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours and Kidlandlee Holiday Cottages are all amongst nominated finalists at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.  

NewcastleGateshead Initiative is also in the running to scoop a top prize in the new TXGB Trailblazer Award for its New Adventures website. 

The Visit England National Tourism Awards for Excellence will be on 7 June at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London where Gold, Silver and Bronze winners will be announced at a black tie event. 

The four nominees were selected after winning Gold at the North East England Tourism Awards in March.   

In the Resilience and Innovation category, Langley Castle Hotel, Northumberland will be taking on Healing Manor Hotel, Lincolnshire and St Luke’s Bombed Out Church C.I.C., Merseyside.  

Rockliffe Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort, Co. Durham is up for the Large Hotel of the Year against Bowood Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort, Wiltshire and Titanic Hotel Liverpool, Merseyside.  

In the Experience of the Year, the Grey Seal and Seabird Cruise by Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours, Northumberland is competing against Peak District Walking Experience, myGuidedWalks, and Make Your Own Gin Experience, Shed 1 Gin Distillery, Cumbria.  

Kidlandlee Holiday Cottages, Northumberland is in the running for Self Catering Accommodation of the Year against Eaton Manor Country Estate, Shropshire and The Dovecote Barns, North Yorkshire.   

NGI has also been nominated for the TXGB Trailblazer award for the North of Tyne Combined Authority funded New Adventures Project which recognises businesses that work with TXGB, VisitEngland’s booking platform. The New Adventures project – www.newadventures.org.uk was launched last year to enable people to understand the diversity of our tourism offer and directly book brilliant experiences in Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland in one place.  

Sarah Green, chief executive of NewcastleGateshead Initiative said:

“It is brilliant to see four tourism businesses from the North East recognised nationally in these prestigious awards. This region has an incredible tourism offer which we need to shout about. These awards give us an opportunity to demonstrate the quality and diversity of our offer on a national stage.  

“In the North East, we are delighted to be recognised by Visit England as the only place to receive funding to pilot a new regional approach to supporting the sector.  We have set ambitious targets to double the size of the sector in the next ten years offering more jobs, decarbonising the offer, ensuring an accessible and inclusive welcome for all and creating year-round demand. To do this, we need to grow our stock of innovative tourism businesses. The businesses recognised in the national awards demonstrate that we have a strong platform to build on and are a credit to our region.   

“I am also delighted that the New Adventures campaign funded by North of Tyne Combined Authority has been recognised as a national exemplar. The ability to book a wide range of activities online before travelling is critical to delivering a good visitor experience. This campaign has enabled us to curate experiences over a wider geography demonstrating the North East’s distinctive coast, country and city offer reaching new audiences, and giving existing visitors more reasons to return.” 

Jason Adams, Managing Director at Rockliffe Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort, Co. Durham, which is nominated for Large Hotel of the Year, said,

“We are delighted to represent the region at the national Visit England Awards for excellence, after our Large Hotel of the Year win at the North East Tourism Awards, earlier this year.  

“I am proud of every team member who plays a part in delivering exceptional experiences for our guests at Rockliffe Hall and being recognised nationally would be a testament to their hard work and commitment.” 

Margaret Livingstone-Evans, Executive General Manager, Langley Castle, Northumberland, which is nominated for the Resilience and Innovation Award said,

“Being a national finalist in the English tourism industry’s top awards is just a fantastic achievement for a hotel of our size and is testimony to all the hard work that has gone into our product development and creative ideas. 

“We have to fight hard to get into the spotlight, given our size and rural location, so we are delighted the judges have recognised the tremendous effort of the entire team. We do not know which of the three possible awards we have won in our category, but whether it is gold, silver or bronze, it will help demonstrate the Northumberland tourism sector’s commitment to excellence and innovation.” 

Applications for North East Tourism Awards 2024, will be open following the national awards in June.  

For more information on the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence please visit see Finalists VisitBritain.

TV presenter and actor Robson Green picked up a special Outstanding Contribution to North East Tourism at 2023’s North East England Tourism Awards. 

The special award was introduced this year to mark the 20^th anniversary of the North East awards and will honour an individual, organisation or business who has made a fundamental contribution to the success of the region’s tourism industry. 

Robson received the award in praise of his efforts to champion the region through his programmes, including his most recent, Weekend Escapes, which showcase the North East’s tourism offer nationally and internationally.  

Picking up the award he said:

“It’s an absolute privilege and honour to receive this award and I feel incredibly humbled and to be honest incredibly surprised. It really is a recognition of the talent I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked alongside, the majority of whom are from the North East of England. All I’ve done during my career is help to tell stories some of which showcase an area I’m really proud to call home and the fact that this has been recognised with this award gives me the inertia to do more!”. 

Winners on the night included Teesdale Cheesemakers Ltd, near Bishop Auckland, who picked up two Gold Awards for Taste of North East England and Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year. 

Business Events Venue of the Year made a return to this year’s awards ceremony with The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre picking up the top prize. Seaham Hall Hotel also retained its title as gold winner in the Small Hotel of the Year category.  

Gold Winners

Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award – Life Science Centre 

B&B and Guest House of the Year – Market Cross Guest House 

Business Events Venue of the Year – The Sill, National Landscape Discovery Centre 

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year – Teesdale Cheesemakers Ltd 

Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism – Dalton Park Outlet Shopping Destination 

Experience of the Year – The Escape Key  

Large Hotel of the Year – Rockliffe Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort 

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year – Bamburgh Castle  

New Tourism Business Award – Hillside Huts & Cabins  

Pub of the Year – The Apple Inn, Lucker 

Resilience and Innovation Award – Langley Castle Hotel  

Self-Catering Provider of the Year – Kidlandlee Holiday Cottages 

Small Hotel of the Year – Seaham Hall Hotel  

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year – Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours 

Taste of North East England – Teesdale Cheesemakers Ltd 

Unsung Hero Award – Mohamed Kamal, Spanish City  

The awards play a key role in celebrating and showcasing the range of quality tourism businesses that visitors to the North East experience. They are the culmination of a week-long focus on the tourism sector as part of English Tourism Week, a national initiative which aims to shines a light on this important sector and its impact on an area’s economy.     

Several of the regional winners will now go on to represent the region at the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence. The awards were once again sponsored by Newcastle College and Bidfood. Students from both Newcastle College and Gateshead College also supported the evening with photography, and hospitality service. 

Sarah Green, Chief Executive of NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI) who deliver the awards, said:

“Firstly I wanted to say a massive congratulations to all of the winners tonight. It was amazing to celebrate the 20^th birthday of the North East awards with such inspiring businesses and individuals who ensure our region gives visitors a warm welcome and special experiences. 

“We’ve doubled the visitor economy in the North East over the past twenty years but have set ourselves an ambitious target to double it again in the next ten years.  

“The North East being announced as the pilot area for the new structure of national tourism bodies and the visitor economy being referenced in the North East Devolution deal demonstrates the level of support for the North East tourism sector.  Our aim is to ensure this sector creates more jobs, supports people at all levels to develop skills, embraces net zero sustainability and provides greater experiences for all being recognised as an exemplar for accessibility and inclusivity.  To do this we need to continue to work with the private sector to enable further investment.” 

Lisa Hamilton-Murray, Deputy Principal, at Newcastle College, said:

“Newcastle College continues to be a proud supporter of the North East Tourism Awards and all of the wonderful tourism businesses in our region, especially in such an exciting year for the tourism sector. As always, the event was an excellent opportunity to celebrate our region and recognise those businesses that play such a vital part in supporting its growth.  

“It was also a fantastic opportunity for our students to gain real work experience and connect with employers, which is a core part of what we offer all of our students as we help to prepare them for their future career here in the North East.” 

Susan Justice, Head of Business Development North East at Bidfood, added:

“Following a wonderful night celebrating 20 years of the North East Tourism Awards and reflecting on 5 years of Bidfood being involved, it was fantastic to see that the North East’s leisure and tourism industry is still delivering at such a high level. The team at Bidfood Gateshead and I want to offer our congratulations again to all the winners and nominees”. 

Tourism businesses also donated prizes to a raffle to raise money for the charity, NE Youth, which aims to make a positive difference to the lives of young people in the region. 

Full List of Winners: 

Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award 

GOLD: Life Science Centre 

SILVER: Sage Gateshead 

BRONZE: Sunderland Empire 

HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre  

B&B and Guest House of the Year 

GOLD: Market Cross Guest House 

SILVER: The Bosk 

BRONZE: Tynemouth 61 Guesthouse & Tea Room 

Business Events Venue of the Year 

GOLD: The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre 

SILVER: The Common Room 

BRONZE: Venues at Northumbria  

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year 

GOLD: Teesdale Cheesemakers 

SILVER: Hillside Huts & Cabins 

BRONZE: Hesleyside Huts 

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Herding Hill Farm 

Ethical, Response and Sustainable Tourism 

GOLD: Dalton Park Outlet Shopping Destination 

SILVER: Kidlandlee 

BRONZE: Laverock Law Cottages 

Experience of the Year 

GOLD: The Escape Key 

SILVER: Valhalla Axe Throwing 

BRONZE: Falconry Days 

HIGHLY COMMENDED: La Chocolatrice 

Large Hotel of the Year 

GOLD: Rockliffe Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa 

SILVER: Doxford Hall Hotel & Aqueous Spa 

BRONZE: Newton Hall & Cabin Walk 

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year 

HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Alnwick Garden 

BRONZE: Whitehouse Farm 

SILVER: Beamish: The Living Museum of the North 

GOLD: Bamburgh Castle 

New Tourism Business Award 

GOLD: Hillside Huts & Cabins 

SILVER: The Greenhead Hotel 

BRONZE: Overland Adventures 

HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Schoolhouse Fenwick 

Pub of the Year 

GOLD: The Apple Inn, Lucker 

SILVER: The Greenhead Hotel 

BRONZE: The Joiners Arms 

Resilience and Innovation Award 

GOLD: Langley Castle Hotel 

SILVER: The Escape Key 

BRONZE: Valhalla Axe Throwing 

HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Common Room 

Self-Catering Accommodation Provider of the Year 

GOLD: Kidlandlee 

SILVER: Till Fishing Holidays 

BRONZE: Vindomora Country Lodges 

JOINT HIGHLY COMMENDED: Breamish Valley Cottages & Mains Cottages/Shepherd’s Retreats 

Small Hotel of the Year  

GOLD: Seaham Hall Hotel  

SILVER: The Lord Crewe Arms, Blanchland 

BROZE: The Lord Crewe, Bamburgh  

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Langley Castle  

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year 

GOLD: Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours 

SILVER: Tees Barrage International White Water Centre & Air Trail 

BRONZE: Newham Grange Farm 

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Stephenson Steam Railway 

Taste of North East England 

GOLD – Teesdale Cheesemakers Ltd 

SILVER – Seaham Hall Hotel   

BRONZE – Dobson & Parnell 

Unsung Hero Award  

GOLD – Mohamed Kamal, Spanish City 

SILVER – Caroline May, Seaham Hall Hotel 

BRONZE – Nick Rodgers, Project Escape 

JOINT HIGHLY COMMENDED – Samantha Brown, The County Restaurant and Sally Razack, Crowne Plaza Newcastle  

Radio Pride presenter Ophelia B will be the host of this year’s North East England Tourism Awards, being held in March.

Ophelia, who also hosts the annual Drag Idol Newcastle, will be the hostess with the mostest for the 20^th anniversary of the awards at the city’s Civic Centre.

The awards will see tourism businesses and attractions from across the region battling it out in 16 categories. Winners of some of the categories will then go on to compete at a national level in the Visit England Awards for Excellence.

Businesses including The Sage Gateshead; Langley Castle and Beamish Museum are hoping for gold at the awards on Thurs, March 23. The awards are once again sponsored by Bidfood UK and Newcastle College.  

Ophelia said: “I am thrilled to have been asked to host the North East England Tourism Awards. It will be a real honour to be part of the night and celebrate with all these amazing businesses.

“I am hoping to add a bit of my own sparkle and pizazz to the evening and will be making sure everyone has a fun night.”

Tickets for the awards are now on sale and are priced £45+VAT each or £450+VAT for a table of 10.

Ian Thomas, Director of Destination at NewcastleGateshead Initiative, who deliver the awards, said: “It’s fantastic to have Ophelia on board, especially in our anniversary year, when we want the awards to be even more special.

“We also want to thank Bidfood UK and Newcastle College for their continued support for the industry and the awards as event sponsors. The partnership work we do with them and others in the region is an integral part of ensuring hospitality and tourism gets the spotlight it deserves and we have a skilled, talented workforce who want to make their careers in tourism and hospitality.

“If you haven’t already got your tickets for the ceremony, make sure you get them booked and come and join the party!”

Scott Bullock, Principal of Newcastle College commented: “Newcastle College is proud to once again support the North East Tourism Awards, especially at such an exciting time for the region’s tourism sector.

“As a college, we work closely with NGI and with local venues and destinations to help prepare young people in our region for their future career in the industry. The Tourism Awards are always a fantastic opportunity for our learners to gain new skills and experience and we look forward to another excellent event that shines an important light on the North East’s hospitality and tourism businesses.”

Pete Adamson, Head of Sales at Bidfood Gateshead, said: “We are delighted to once again be sponsoring the 20^th Anniversary of the North East Tourism Awards. There are so many incredible tourism and hospitality businesses located across the North East and it’s great to see them recognised through these awards.

“Building on the fantastic success of previous awards ceremonies, we can’t wait to celebrate those local businesses that go above and beyond to deliver the best possible experience to those visiting the region.”

Tickets can be purchased here:   https://tickets.northeasttourismawards.co.uk/ 

To find out more and see to see the full shortlist for the 2023 North East England Tourism Awards go to www.northeasttourismawards.co.uk

The North East England Tourism Awards 2023 will be held on Thurs, March 23 at Newcastle Civic Centre.

The 20^th anniversary of the awards will be held as part of English Tourism Week (17-26 March) with businesses from across the region competing in 16 categories.

More than 160 businesses entered the awards, and the shortlist was announced in September, with businesses including Life Science Centre, Beamish Museum and Langley Castle up for an award.

Categories include Unsung Hero, Business Events Venue of the Year and Experience of the Year.

Winners from some of the regional categories will then go forward to compete in the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, which saw Seaham Hall Hotel pick up Gold at this year’s event for Small Hotel of the Year.

Tickets for the awards are now on sale and are priced £45+VAT each or £450+VAT for a table of 10.

Destination Director, Ian Thomas, at NewcastleGateshead Initiative, who deliver the regional awards said:

“We were astounded by the quality and range of entries to the 2023 awards, with more than 50% of entries coming from businesses who have not entered in the past.

“Following the announcement from Government that the North East will be the pilot area for the first ever Destination Development Partnership, we’re excited to showcase the incredible businesses and individuals that make our destination stand out from the rest.

“Tourism continues to be a major economic driver for the region and in our 20^th anniversary year of the awards we want to celebrate the industry and its importance to the North East.”

Tickets can be purchased here:   

Image: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear. View across the river Tyne at Quayside with the Baltic and Gateshead Millennium Bridge.

The top tourism businesses who will be competing to take home the Gold at next year’s North East England Tourism Awards, have been announced.

The prestigious awards, which will be held next March, will see shortlisted businesses in 16 categories ranging from Large Hotel of the Year to Unsung Hero.

This year saw more than 160 entries with over 50% coming from businesses who were entering the awards for the first time.

Next year is the 20^th anniversary of the awards and organisers NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI) are hoping it will be the best one yet.

Sarah Green, Chief Executive of NGI said:

“The North East England Tourism Awards are a fantastic opportunity to highlight and celebrate the varied and distinctive tourism businesses across the region.

“This has been a record year for award entries, and I am particularly delighted that 55% of entries were from businesses that have never entered before.

“Our tourism industry is worth around £5bn to the region’s visitor economy and employs more than 50,000 people. Our ambition is to continue to grow the value of the visitor economy, create quality jobs and boost employment across the sector.

“The awards are a perfect example of creating and maximising such opportunities across the North East by showcasing the vibrancy of our tourism offer to visitors and investors, as well as demonstrating the richness of a career in the sector.

“NGI has been working tirelessly alongside tourism businesses and our partners to support this crucial sector to be sustainable and to encourage growth, and we are extremely excited to be able to reflect and celebrate at the awards ceremony next March.”

North East England Tourism Awards 2023 Shortlisted Businesses

(in alphabetical order)

Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award

Life Science Centre

Sage Gateshead

Sunderland Empire

The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre

B&B and Guest House of the Year

Market Cross Guest House

The Bosk

Tynemouth 61 Guesthouse & Tea Room

Business Events Venue of the Year

The Common Room

The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre

Venues at Northumbria University

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year

Herding Hill Farm Camping and Glamping Site

Hesleyside Huts

Hillside Huts & Cabins

Teesdale Cheesemakers Limited

Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award

Dalton Park Outlet Shopping Destination

Kidlandlee Holiday Cottages

Laverock Law Cottages and Glamping

Experience of the Year

Falconry Days

La Chocolatrice

The Escape Key

Valhalla North Axe Throwing

Large Hotel of the Year

Doxford Hall Hotel & Aqueous Spa

Newton Hall and Cabin Walk

Rockliffe Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year

Bamburgh Castle

Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

The Alnwick Garden

Whitehouse Farm Centre

New Tourism Business Award

Hillside Huts & Cabins

Overland Adventures

Schoolhouse Fenwick

The Greenhead Hotel

Pub of the Year

The Apple Inn

The Greenhead Hotel

The Joiners Arms

Resilience and Innovation Award

Langley Castle Hotel

The Common Room

The Escape Key

Valhalla North Axe Throwing

Self-Catering Accommodation Provider of the Year

Breamish Valley Cottages

Kidlandlee Holiday Cottages

Mains Cottages/Shepherds Retreats

Till Fishing Holidays

Vindomora Country Lodges

Small Hotel of the Year

Langley Castle Hotel

Lord Crewe Arms

Seaham Hall Hotel

The Lord Crewe

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year

Newham Grange Farm

Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours

Stephenson Steam Railway

Tees Barrage International White-Water Centre & Air Trail

Taste of North East England

Dobson & Parnell

Seaham Hall Hotel

Teesdale Cheesemakers Limited

Unsung Hero Award

Crowne Plaza Newcastle Stephenson Quarter – Sally Razack

Project Escape Ltd and Putter Chaos Adventure Golf – Nick Rodgers

Seaham Hall Hotel – Caroline May

Spanish City – Mohamed Kamal

The County Restaurant – Samantha Brown