North Yorkshire tourism triumphs

A unique setting for this classic children's tale

Hundreds of people from the tourism industry gathered at the Royal Armouries in Leeds for the region's tourism awards on Monday 19 October.

Organised by tourism agency, Welcome to Yorkshire, over 800 guests celebrated and applauded the best of the industry as the fifteen winners were announced.

The evening went very well for North Yorkshire as the county picked up award after award taking home 10 in total.

FULL LIST OF WHITE ROSE AWARDS 2009 Best Tourism Experience of the Year: The Railway Children. York Theatre Royal at the NRM Yorkshire Pub of the Year: Ye Old Sun Inn, Colton near Tadcaster Business Tourism Award of the Year: Sheffield City Hall, Sheffield Caravan Holiday Park & Holiday Village Award: Lebberston Touring Park, Lebberston near Scaborough Guest Accommodation of the Year: Cundall Lodge Farm, Cundall. Access for All Tourism Award: The Yorkshire Waterways Museum, Goole Hotel of the Year (under 50 bedrooms) Swinton Park, Swinton Hotel of Year (35 bedrooms & over): Best Western, Premier Mount Pleasant Hotel, Doncaster Outstanding Customer Service: Linda Banks, Wakefield TIC Self Catering/Serviced Aparments: Residence 6, Leeds Sustainable Tourism Award: Crown Spa Hotel, Scarborough Taste of Yorkshire Award: Green's Restaurant, Whitby Tourism Event of the Year: The Grand Tour of York, York Museums Trust Visitor Attraction of the Year (under 50,000 visitors): Ripley Castle, Ripley Visitor Attraction of the Year (50,000 visitors & over): National Railway Museum, York

Amongst the winners were the National Railway Museum and York Theatre Royal's production of The Railway Children, which was named Best Tourism Experience of the Year. The NRM also picked up the Visitor Attraction of the Year Award.

Barbara Woroncow OBE, Chair of the judges said:

"White Rose Award winners are proof of the excellence that exists in our region.

"Their commitment to raising standards of service and levels of expectation has resulted in Yorkshire's continuing and rising success as a destination."

Another artistic project that picked up an award was The Grand Tour organised by the York Museums Trust. The event, which saw copies of old masters displayed around York, picked up the award for Tourism Event of the year.

It has been a record breaking summer for Yorkshire's tourism industry according to Welcome to Yorkshire. The organisation believes that a weak pound and more people holidaying at home has helped the region outperform the rest of the UK.

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire said:

"The standard of entrants at this year's awards has surpassed our expectations and I know the judges have had a really tough job.

"With the current economic climate, prestigious award ceremonies such as this are all the more important.

"Yorkshire tourism deserves its moment to congratulate the best of its colleagues and peers and as a region we certainly have a lot to be proud of."