CORNWALL TOURISM AWARDS

Photo: The Pandora Inn

Simply the best

While there may not have been any grand gala ceremonies this year for obvious reasons, it did not stop the best of Devon and Cornwall’s tourism being celebrated.

The creativity and determination shown by entrants inspired us.

Despite a challenging year for tourism businesses, the winners in the Cornwall Tourism Awards were announced at an innovative awards day hosted over five sessions by Daphne Skinnard and

Robin Barker.

The online event saw 74 awards presented in 27 categories. It was the culmination of an 11-month programme that started in March 2020 with entrants judged on a combination of their entry submissions, digital presence, reviews and external evidence.

A surprise award went to Martin Barlow, owner of the Budock Vean Hotel, winning the prestigious Outstanding Contribution Award, while Watergate Bay’s Ben Harper took the award for Business Leader. Among the other top winners was Landal Gwel an Mor, winning Gold for Holiday Park of the Year as well as awards for Access, Small Attraction, Spa and Wellbeing, and Wedding Venue. Sara’s Cottage was another multiple winner picking up golds for Access and Self Catering, while Mullion Cove Hotel and Spa took gold for Small Hotel and Carlyon Bay Hotel the gold for Large Hotel. The Old Embassy House took the gold for B&B and Guesthouse of the Year with Polmanter Touring Park and Ekopod taking the final two accommodation golds for touring park and glamping. The Cornish Seal Sanctuary showed its further improvements taking gold in both the Wildlife Friendly and Dog Friendly categories with Paradise Park also taking two golds for Large Visitor Attraction and Experience of the Year. The Shipwreck Treasure Museum took the Small Attraction gold, with Treseren winning gold for Wedding Venue and St Moritz Hotel gold for Tourism Innovation.

It was good to see Falmouth Oyster Festival 2019 taking the gold for Tourism Event of the Year and Visit Newquay Tourist Information the gold for Visitor Information.

Food and drink businesses were also recognised with Teacup Tearoom winning gold for Café/Tearoom of the Year, The Pandora Inn for Pub of the Year (for the 4th year running) and Bango Kitchen the gold for Restaurant and Casual Dining. Prestigious golds also went to The Sanctuary Cornwall for Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism, and to Cove24 Restaurant and Bar in the New Tourism Business category. The awards also recognised five ‘Unsung Heroes’ who had gone above and beyond during 2020. These were Gary Zammit of Feadon Wildlife Centre, Kim Spencer of SECTA, Patrick Trembath of PK Porthcurno, Robert Hawkins of Martha’s Orchard and Sally Pickles from The Bowgie Inn. The nineteenth year of the competition has been run in unprecedented times for tourism, but the focus on excellence and feedback for entrants has remained as relevant as ever.

Awards organiser, Robin Barker of Services for Tourism, said: “It would have been very easy to cancel the awards this year – we did think long and hard about it, but the level of early entries we received in spite of everything, and the creativity and determination shown by entrants inspired us to find a way to make this happen – and your responses and feedback ever since have completely blown us away.”

Photo: Paradise Park Red Panda Experience

Deborah Heather of headline sponsor Quality in Tourism added: “I’ve just spent an amazing day with the aweinspiring tourism industry of Cornwall. They go from strength to strength each year. We are so proud at Quality in Tourism to be headline sponsor of the Cornwall Tourism Awards. I am humbled by and optimistic because of these industry leaders.” All of the winners will be automatically considered for the regional South West Tourism Excellence Awards later in the year as well as receiving feedback from the judging process. The 2021/22 awards are planned to be launched in April.

cornwalltourismawards.org.uk

CORNWALL TOURISM AWARDS WINNERS

ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE TOURISM AWARD sponsored by Jarrang Gold Sara’s Cottage, Truro Silver Landal Gwel an Mor Resort, Portreath Bronze Harrods Cornish Cottages, Penhallow

B&B AND GUESTHOUSE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Worldpay Gold Old Embassy House, Fowey Silver Trewornan Manor, Wadebridge Bronze Wingletang Guest House, Isles of Scilly

BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR sponsored by Be the Business • Ben Harper Watergate Bay Hotel

CAFÉ/TEAROOM OF THE YEAR sponsored by Cornish Tea and Coffee Gold Teacup Tearoom, Mevagissey Silver The Thirstea Co, Portscatho

CAMPING AND CARAVANNING PARK OF THE YEAR sponsored by Stephens Scown solicitors Gold Polmanter Touring Park, St Ives Silver Mena Farm: Touring, Camping, Glamping, Bodmin Bronze Treloy Touring Park, Newquay

DOG FRIENDLY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR sponsored by Forthglade Gold The Cornish Seal Sanctuary, Gweek Silver Kernock Cottages, Saltash Bronze Gwelmor Holiday Home, Bude Hut and Hound, St Austell Teacup Tearoom, Mevagissey

ETHICAL, RESPONSIBLE & SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARD sponsored by South West Water Gold The Sanctuary Cornwall, Golant Silver Camp Kernow, Truro Bronze Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park, Padstow

EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR (ACTIVE OR LEARNING) sponsored by Pear Communications Gold Paradise Park – Red Panda Experience, Hayle Silver Paddle Cornwall SUP, Golant Bronze Bare Feet Coasteer, Newquay

GLAMPING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR sponsored by Jo Downs Handmade Glass Gold Ekopod, Launceston Silver Wych Elm Glamping, Coverack

HOLIDAY PARK OF THE YEAR sponsored by Stephens Scown solicitors Gold Landal Gwel an Mor Resort, Portreath Silver Martha’s Orchard, Constantine Bay

INTERNATIONAL TOURISM AWARD sponsored by Cornwall Airport Newquay Gold Cornwall Plus, Falmouth Silver Travel England Tours Ltd

LARGE HOTEL OF THE YEAR sponsored by Hotel Perfect Gold Carlyon Bay Hotel, St Austell Silver Budock Vean Hotel, Mawnan Smith Bronze Fowey Hall Hotel, Fowey

LARGE VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR sponsored by The Isles of Scilly Steamship Company Gold Paradise Park and JungleBarn Indoor Play Centre, Hayle

Silver Camel Creek Adventure Park, Wadebridge National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Falmouth Tintagel Castle (English Heritage), Tintagel NEW TOURISM BUSINESS AWARD sponsored by The Samphire Club Gold Cove24 Restaurant and Bar, Newquay Silver Scilly Spirit Distillery, Isles of Scilly Bronze Via Ferrata Cornwall, Penryn

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO CORNISH TOURISM sponsored by Visit Cornwall Martin Barlow, Budock Vean Hotel

PUB OF THE YEAR sponsored by Vickery Holman Gold The Pandora Inn, Mylor Silver The Boathouse, Falmouth Bronze The Gurnard’s Head, Zennor

RESTAURANT & CASUAL DINING OF THE YEAR sponsored by Trevethan Cornish Gin Gold Bango Kitchen, Penryn Silver Cove24 Restaurant and Bar, Newquay Bronze The Idle Rocks Restaurant, St Mawes

SELF CATERING ACCOMMODATION OF THE YEAR sponsored by Anytime Booking Gold Sara’s Cottage, Truro Silver My Cottages in St Ives, St Ives Bronze Cosawes Barton, Truro

SMALL HOTEL OF THE YEAR sponsored by PKF Francis Clark Gold Mullion Cove Hotel & Spa, Mullion Silver The PIG at Harlyn Bay, Padstow Bronze The Idle Rocks, St Mawes

SMALL VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR sponsored by Seymac Distribution Gold Shipwreck Treasure Museum, Charlestown Silver Feadon Wildlife Centre, Portreath

SPA & WELLBEING EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Lovegrove Essentials Gold Landal Gwel an Mor Resort, Portreath Silver St Michaels Resort, Falmouth Bronze Mullion Cove Spa, Mullion

TOURISM EVENT/FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR sponsored by Skinners Brewery Gold Falmouth Oyster Festival 2019 Silver Wavelength Media’s Drive-in Cinema Series 2020

TOURISM INNOVATION AWARD sponsored by Clockwork Marketing Gold St Moritz Hotel, Polzeath Silver Treseren, Newquay

UNSUNG HERO AWARD sponsored by Quality in Tourism Unsung Heroes Gary Zammit, Feadon Wildlife Centre, Portreath Kim Spencer, Wringworthy Cottages, Looe Patrick Trembath, PK, Porthcurno Robert Hawkins, Martha’s Orchard, Constantine Bay Sally Pickles, The Bowgie Inn, Newquay

VISITOR INFORMATION SERVICE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Cornwall Association of Tourist Attractions Gold Visit Newquay Tourist Information Centre Silver Bodmin Information Centre Bronze Fal River Visitor Information Centre

WEDDING VENUE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Navas Drinks Gold Treseren, Newquay Silver Landal Gwel an Mor Resort, Portreath

WILDLIFE FRIENDLY TOURISM BUSINESS AWARD sponsored by Tevi in association with Cornwall Wildlife Trust Gold The Cornish Seal Sanctuary, Gweek Silver Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park, Padstow Bronze Ekopod, Launceston