Northumberland dominates shortlist for North East Tourism Awards

An amazing 27 of the 42 businesses shortlisted in the awards are from the county and feature in categories ranging from Large Visitor Attraction of the Year, to B&B and Guesthouse of the Year and Experience of the Year.The North East England Tourism Awards play a major role in showcasing the fantastic range of high quality experiences the North East has to offer.

There is at least one Northumberland business in 14 out of the 15 categories.

The B&B and Guest House of the Year, Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year, Pub of the Year and Self Catering Accommodation Provider of the Year categories include only Northumberland businesses, guaranteeing at least four golds for the county at the awards ceremony in 2022.

Andrew Fox, chairman of Visit Northumberland, said: “The North East has an exceptional standard for its tourism offering, so it’s fantastic that a staggering two thirds of those shortlisted are Northumberland businesses.

"This highlights the quality tourism offer we have in Northumberland.

"Tourism is extremely valuable in Northumberland, in 2019 the industry brought in £1.04 billion and employed over 13,000 people directly. These figures would not be possible without the high standards offered by tourism businesses throughout the county.

"It is fabulous to see so many Northumberland businesses being recognised at these prestigious awards.”

Special congratulations to The Alnwick Garden who have been shortlisted in three categories: Resilience and Innovation Award, Experience of the Year and Large Visitor Attraction of the Year.

Langley Castle, The Feathers Inn, Vindomora Country Lodges and Woodland Chase Glamping have all been shortlisted in two categories.

The North East England Tourism Awards are organised and delivered by NewcastleGateshead Initiative in partnership with the North East Tourism Alliance.

Ian Thomas, destination director at NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI), announcing the shortlist, said: “The tourism sector is a vitally important part of the regional economy, and the awards enable us to showcase the best of the sector.”

Winners will be announced at a gala evening ceremony in March.

Support your Gazette and become a subscriber today.

With a digital subscription you get access to the ad-lite version of our website, meaning you see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times and get all of the headlines you need with fewer distractions.

The Northumberland Gazette has been serving the county since 1854, and your support means we can continue telling your stories for generations to come.

Click here to subscribe.