Finalists Announced for Visit York Tourism Awards 2023

Finalists in the Visit York Tourism Awards, sponsored by LNER, have been revealed today. Celebrating the best in tourism, hospitality and culture, finalists will go head-to-head to win one of 16 trophies on Thursday 23rd March 2023.

The ‘Tourism Oscars of the North’ will take place in a glitzy ceremony at York Racecourse hosted by award-winning journalist and legendary broadcaster, John Stapleton. John has more than 50 years of experience working in television and newspapers, spending 17 years as a presenter for GMTV, Daybreak and Good Morning Britain. On hosting the Visit York Tourism Awards, John Stapleton said: "Really looking forward to the awards ceremony and visiting the wonderful city of York. It's a long time since my school trips there.”

Eligible winners across a number of categories will be automatically put forward to the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2023 to compete for the crown of the country’s best. York has a strong record of national glory, with Middletons Hotel’s General Manager Adam Wardale taking the national Unsung Hero Award in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2022.

New categories for 2023 include ‘Cultural Venue of the Year’ to celebrate the city’s thriving culture scene. The ‘Ethical, Responsible & Sustainable Tourism Award’ champions businesses who go above and beyond in their commitment to the environment and the wider community.

Sarah Loftus, Managing Director at Make It York, said: “We had such a brilliant turnout in entries this year, with incredibly strong applications across the board. A huge congratulations to our finalists announced today, who have demonstrated excellence in their sectors across tourism, hospitality and culture. The Visit York Tourism Awards celebrate the countless organisations who work tirelessly year-round to deliver the very best experiences for visitors and residents. We look forward to celebrating their successes at the ceremony in March.”

David Horne, Managing Director at LNER, said: “From historic sites to wonderful places to eat and stay, York has so much to offer and is one of the most popular destinations on the LNER route. We are therefore proud to support the Visit York Tourism Awards, helping to celebrate the individuals and businesses that continue to work hard to make York such a great place to visit. Congratulations to all those who have been selected as a finalist.”

Councillor Darryl Smalley: Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Communities, said: “York is proud to be home to many excellent businesses and individuals who work incredibly hard to create unique visitor experiences for the millions of visitors exploring our city each year. These businesses are an essential part of our city and I am delighted to see such a diverse group of finalists this year. Their hard work, resilience and creativity will be rightly recognised and celebrated at the Tourism Awards. With so many excellent businesses in the tourism sector in York, it really is an achievement to be shortlisted. Congratulations and good luck to all finalists!”

Visit York Tourism Awards Finalists 2023:

B&B and Guest House of the Year**

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year**

Cultural Venue of the Year* sponsored by Clarion Housing Group

Ethical, Responsible & Sustainable Tourism Award sponsored by The Fabl

Event or Festival the Year* sponsored by LNER

York Proms

York Maze Hallowscream

Yorktoberfest

York Fashion Week

York Theatre Royal - An Evening with Kyiv City Ballet

Experience of the Year sponsored by Destination Core

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year**

Large Hotel of the Year sponsored by Streamline Taxis

New Tourism Business of the Year**

Pub of the Year sponsored by Hunter Gee Holroyd

Resilience & Innovation Award sponsored by York St John University

Retailer of the Year* sponsored by Fidomoney

Self Catering Accommodation of the Year

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year**

Small Hotel of the Year sponsored by Inglis Chartered Accountants

Taste of England Award sponsored by Fowlers of York

*Visit York only. These categories are not eligible to go forward to the Visit England Awards for Excellence.

**Sponsorship opportunities available.

Tickets for the glittering awards ceremony event on Thursday 23rd March 2023 are available from today. Book your tickets here. (Tickets cost £75 plus VAT for Visit York members, or £70 plus VAT when booking a table of 10. Tickets cost £95 plus VAT for non-members).

More information about the Visit York Tourism Awards can be found at visityork.org/awards

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Sarah Foster and Brittany Guymer

Communications team at Make It York

Email: comms@makeityork.com

Notes to Editors:

About Make It York

Make It York

Make It York’s purpose is to develop and promote the city and its surroundings – nationally and internationally - as a vibrant and attractive place to live, visit, study, work and do business. The company’s remit covers leisure and business tourism, city centre management, Shambles Market and festivals and events.

Visit York is a part of Make It York and is the leisure tourism brand

Under the brand Visit York, Make It York’s aim is to market York as a must-see world-class destination to the leisure visitor and ensure investment to develop the quality of tourism in York.

About John Stapleton

John Stapleton is an award-winning journalist with more than 50 years of experience in newspapers and television. He was the Royal Television Society’s Presenter of the Year in 2004 for his work covering the war in Iraq and a series of interviews with, amongst others, the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair. John’s career began as a journalist in local newspapers and progressed to Fleet Street where he worked on two national newspapers. After a four-year spell in regional TV he became a presenter on the BBC’s hugely popular Nationwide programme for five years and later a foreign correspondent with Panorama and Newsnight. He co-presented the BBC Watchdog programme with his wife Lynn Faulds Wood for seven years, hosted the ITV daytime chat show The Time the Place and spent 17 years as a presenter at GMTV, Daybreak and Good Morning Britain.

Winners of the Visit York Tourism Awards 2022:

B&B and Guest House of the Year - Sponsored by Morrell Middleton

Winner: Tower Guest House

Finalists: MonkBridge House, Westergate House

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year - Sponsored by The Fabl

Winner: Wigwam Holidays Ball Hall Farm

Finalists: Springwood Shepherd Huts Glamping York, Wolds Walk Glamping

Experience of the Year - Sponsored by Destination Core

Winner: The Bloody Tour of York

Finalists: Castle Howard, The Deathly Dark Tours, The Cookery School at The Grand, York,

Event of the Year – Sponsored by Rugby League World Cup
Winner: York Maze

Highly Commended: That JORVIK Viking Thing

Finalists: The Great Ryedale Maze, York Balloon Fiesta

Large Hotel of the Year - Sponsored by Streamline Taxis

Winner: The Grand, York

Highly Commended: Sandburn Hall Hotel

Finalists: Hotel Indigo York, Middletons Hotel, The Principal York 

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year - Sponsored by YO1 Radio
Winner: JORVIK Viking Centre

Finalists: The York Dungeon, York Art Gallery, York’s Chocolate Story

New Tourism Business of the Year - Sponsored by City Cruises
Winner: The Deathly Dark Tours

Finalists: Malmaison York, Sandburn Hall Hotel, York Riverside Apartments

Pub of the Year – Sponsored by Hunter Gee Holroyd
Winner: The Drovers Arms Restaurant & Country Pub

Finalists: House of Trembling Madness Lendal, House of Trembling Madness Stonegate

Self Catering Accommodation of the Year - Sponsored by Clarion Housing

Winner: Heritage Escapes (York)

Finalists: Roomzzz Aparthotels – York City, Staycity Aparthotels, The Enchantment Chamber, The Riverside York (Finalist)

Resilience and Innovation Award - Sponsored by Fabler & Co

Winner: The Web Adventure Park

Finalists: The Deathly Dark Tours, The Drovers Arms Restaurant & Country Pub, The North Yorkshire Moors Railway, The Web Adventure Park, Trembling Madness Ltd, York Gin

Shop Experience of the Year* - Sponsored by Fidomoney
Winner: York Gin

Finalists: The Antiques Centre York, York’s Chocolate Story

Small Hotel of the Year - Sponsored by Hospitality Staffing
Winner: Grays Court Hotel & The Bow Room Restaurant

Finalists: Galtres Lodge, The Judge’s Lodging

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year - Sponsored by Fowlers of York

Winner: Mother Shipton’s

Finalists: Fairfax House, York Army Museum

Taste of England Award – Sponsored by The York Roast Co.
Winner: The Bow Room Restaurant at Grays Court Hotel

Finalists: Forest at Galtres Lodge, Mr Chippy York, Plush Café, The Drovers Arms Restaurant & Country Pub

Unsung Hero Award - Sponsored by LNER

Winner: Adam Wardale, General Manager at Middletons Hotel

Finalists: Frank Caulfield, Porter at Dean Court Hotel and Norbert Lawrie, Kitchen Porter at Galtres Lodge