Take a look at the success of last year's event...

The annual Yorkshire Tourist Board (YTB) White Rose Awards for Tourism were announced on 11 September at Magna Science Adventure Centre, Rotherham.

94 nervous finalists anxiously awaited the results surrounded by an audience of over 670 supporters, VIPs, sponsors, invited guests and representatives from tourism businesses large and small throughout Yorkshire, making this perhaps the largest tourism awards ceremony of its kind in the UK and the most successful White Rose Awards ever held in the event’s 18 year history.

The evening began with a Champagne reception followed by a black tie gala dinner and then the ceremony itself. The 94 finalists were in competition for 17 coveted awards. Presentations were made by David Andrews chief executive of YTB accompanied by a representative from each category’s sponsoring company. The event was compered by Yorkshire broadcasters and media personalities Harry Gration and Christa Ackroyd. The deserving winners in 14 of the seventeen categories also go forward to represent Yorkshire in the national Enjoy England Awards for Excellence organised by VisitBritain (see categories marked * in the list below).


The full list of winners and finalists by category are:

1. Visitor Destination of the Year (In association with Encams)
Winner: Bridlington
Finalists: York
Whitby
Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate

2. Tourist Information Service of the Year * (sponsored by Carrier Direct Marketing)
Winner: Holmfirth Tourist Information Centre
Finalists: Aysgarth Falls Tourist Information Centre
Humber Bridge Tourist Information Centre
Knaresborough Tourist Information Centre
Malton Tourist Information Centre
Rotherham Tourist Information Centre
Wakefield Tourist Information Centre

3. Best Newcomer to Tourism (sponsored by Smarter)
Winner: Farmhouse Preserves, Crayke
Finalists: The Dusty Miller and Coiners Restaurant with Rooms, Hebden Bridge
Marmadukes Hotel, York
Throapham House Bed & Breakfast, Sheffield
Welburn Lodge, Welburn
York Caravan Park, York

4. Guest Accommodation of the Year * (sponsored by Cumberland Building Society)
Winner: Clow Beck House, Croft on Tees
Finalists: 17 Burgate, Pickering
Low Penhowe, Burythorpe
Mill Close Farm, Patrick Brompton, Bedale
The Moorlands Country House, Levisham
The Wold Cottage, Wold Newton

5. Hotel of the Year (up to 50 bedrooms) * (sponsored by Colliers Robert Barry)
Winner: The Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel, Bolton Abbey
Finalists: The Grange Hotel, York
Hazlewood Castle Hotel, Tadcaster
Hotel du Vin, Harrogate
Middlethorpe Hall & Spa, York
Swinton Park, Masham
Tickton Grange Hotel, Tickton more…

6. Hotel of the Year (35 bedrooms and over) * (sponsored by Streamline)
Winner: Marriott Hollins Hall Hotel & Country Club, Baildon
Finalists: Brooklands Hotel, Barnsley
The Crown Hotel, Bawtry
Gisborough Hall Hotel, Guisborough
Mount Pleasant Hotel, Doncaster
Queens Hotel, Leeds
Rudding Park, Harrogate

7. Visitor Attraction of the Year (under 50,000 visitors) * (sponsored by Business Link South Yorkshire)
Winner: The Yorkshire Waterways Museum, Goole
Finalists: Standedge Tunnel &Visitor Centre, Marsden
The Merchant Adventurers' Hall, York

8. Visitor Attraction of the Year (50,000 visitors & over) * (sponsored by Front)
Winner: National Coal Mining Museum, Wakefield
Finalists: Harewood House Trust, Leeds
Magna Science Adventure Centre, Rotherham
National Media Museum, Bradford
York Castle Museum, York

9. Yorkshire Pub of the Year (sponsored by The British Beer & Pub Association)
Winner: The General Tarleton Inn, Ferrensby
Finalists: The Craven Arms, Appletreewick
Duke William Inn, Shelf
The Pipe & Glass Inn, South Dalton
The Travellers Rest, Sowerby
The Wensleydale Heifer, West Witton

10. Self Catering Holiday of the Year * (sponsored by VisitBritain)
Winner: Rudding Gates Apartments, Harrogate
Finalists: Beech Farm Cottages, Wrelton
Cherrygarth Cottages, Slingsby
Faweather Grange, High Eldwick
Hodgson's Choice, York
Shoreline Cottages Ltd, Whitby

11. Tourism Website of the Year * (sponsored by Communigator)
Winner: York Minster, York www.yorkminster.org
Finalists: Low Penhowe, Burythorpe www.bedandbreakfastyorkshire.co.uk
Shoreline Cottages Ltd, Whitby www.shoreline-cottages.com
Stoney End Holidays, Worton www.stoneyend.co.uk
The Wensleydale Heifer, West Witton www.wensleydaleheifer.co.uk more…

12. Caravan Holiday Park of the Year * (sponsored by Yorkshire Bank)
Winner: Burton Constable Holiday Park & Arboretum, Sproatley
Finalists: Blue Sky Resorts Ltd - Nostell Priory Holiday Park, Wakefield
Goosewood Holiday Park, Sutton on the Forest
Maustin Park Ltd, Wetherby
Primrose Valley Holiday Park, Filey
Scarborough Camping & Caravanning Club Site, Scarborough

13. Outstanding Customer Service Award* (sponsored by Servicemark U.K. Ltd)
Winner: Mick Logg - Sno!zone at Xscape, Castleford, Castleford
Finalists: Liz Lake - Castle Howard Estate, York
The Devonshire Hotels & Restaurants, Bolton Abbey
The English Language Centre, York
York Museums Trust (Castle Museum), York

14. Business Tourism Award of the Year * (sponsored by Yorkshire South)
Winner: Magna Science Adventure Centre, Rotherham
Finalists: Harewood House Trust, Leeds
High Trenhouse, Malham
National Media Museum, Bradford
Queens Hotel, Leeds
Royal Armouries (International) Plc, Leeds

15. Taste of Yorkshire Award* (sponsored by The Yorkshire Society)
Winner: Swinton Park, Masham
Finalists: Lewis & Cooper - The Tearoom, Northallerton
Melton’s Too, York
The Pipe & Glass Inn, South Dalton
Vennell's Restaurant, Masham

16. Best Tourism Experience of the Year * (sponsored by Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield Winner: Castle Howard Estate, York and Visit Doncaster )
Finalists: Cannon Hall Farm, Barnsley
Bradford International Markets Festival, Bradford
National Coal Mining Museum for England, Wakefield
Yorkboat, York

17. Sustainable Tourism Award * (sponsored by Windsor Partners Ltd)
Winner: YHA Lockton, Lockton
Finalists: Argument Cottage, Guisborough
Castle Howard Estate, York
Forestry Commission, Pickering
Swinton Park, Masham more…
Date: 11 September 2007
Notes to the Editor:

1. The White Rose Awards for Tourism, the top accolade for tourism in Yorkshire, were created 18 years ago by YTB to recognise and reward excellence in tourism.

2. YTB is the official tourism marketing agency for Yorkshire and the Humber, it is supported by regional development agency Yorkshire Forward and exists to represent and help generate sustainable business for the region’s tourism industry, an industry worth £4.1billion to the region annually and employing over 165,000 people, making it the largest and fastest growing industry in the region. Yorkshire’s goal, as identified in Bold Vision, Bright Future - The Tourism Marketing Strategy for Yorkshire and Humber 2006 - 2010, is to achieve an increase in the value of tourism earnings to the region by 5% per annum to £5.9bn by 2010.

3. The White Rose Awards for Tourism are supported by VisitBritain. Winners in the 14 categories marked * will automatically qualify for entry to the national Enjoy England Awards for Excellence organised by VisitBritain, to be held in Spring 2008.

Sponsors of the White Rose Awards 2007 include: