Visit York Tourism Awards 2022 finalists revealed

Finalists in the Visit York Tourism Awards, sponsored by LNER, have been revealed today. The prestigious awards ceremony returns on Thursday 3rd March 2022 with the best of York’s businesses going head to head to win one of 15 trophies. The event aims to shine a spotlight on excellence in York’s tourism sector and reward outstanding service, innovation, quality and resilience.

These prestigious ‘Tourism Oscars of the North’ will be hosted by York Mix Radio Presenters Ben Fry and Laura Castle and will be held at the splendid York Racecourse. Eligible winners across a number of categories will be automatically put forward to the national Visit England Awards for Excellence 2022 to compete for the crown of the country’s best.

New categories for 2022 include ‘Resilience & Innovation Award’ to honour organisations who have built on their strengths, innovated their business and showed incredible resilience during a difficult time for the industry. Another new ‘Unsung Hero’ award recognises an individual working for a tourism business who excels in their role and deserves to be applauded for their work and commitment to the industry.

Ashley Young, Senior Marketing and Communications Manager at Make It York, said: “We are so proud of the vibrant and flourishing tourism sector in York, which welcomes millions of visitors to the city each year as well as creates an atmosphere full of culture and diversity for the residents. There are so many organisations around the city working incredibly hard year round to deliver the highest quality visitor experiences, which has been especially challenging during the past two years. The awards will reward those who are truly exceptional in their field. Good luck to all finalists – we all look forward to celebrating the 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 our most popular destinations on the LNER route. It is therefore great to see so many of the city’s businesses and individuals who work incredibly hard to create outstanding visitor experiences, recognised at the Visit York Tourism Awards.”

Councillor Darryl Smalley: Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Communities, said: “We all know what an incredibly challenging 18 months these businesses will all have faced, and that’s why it’s more important than ever to celebrate the incredible range of businesses that York is lucky enough to be home to. These businesses are an essential part of our great city and I am delighted to see such a diverse group of finalists this year. I wish them all the best of luck and whilst it’s been said many times before, it really is a significant achievement to be shortlisted and you are all winners already.”

Visit York Tourism Awards Finalists 2022:

B&B and Guest House of the Year **

MonkBridge House

Tower Guest House

Westergate House

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year **

Springwood Shepherd Huts Glamping York

Wigwam Holidays Ball Hall Farm

Wolds Walk Glamping

Experience of the Year **

Castle Howard

The Bloody Tour of York

The Cookery School at The Grand, York

The Deathly Dark Tours

Event of the Year* **

That JORVIK Viking Thing

The Great Ryedale Maze

York Balloon Fiesta

York Maze

Large Hotel of the Year - Sponsored by Streamline Taxis

Hotel Indigo York

Middletons Hotel

The Grand, York

The Principal York

Sandburn Hall Hotel

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year - Sponsored by YO1 Radio

JORVIK Viking Centre

The York Dungeon

York Art Gallery

York’s Chocolate Story

New Tourism Business of the Year - Sponsored by City Cruises

The Deathly Dark Tours

Malmaison York

Sandburn Hall Hotel

York Riverside Apartments

Pub of the Year – Sponsored by Hunter Gee Holroyd

House of Trembling Madness Lendal

House of Trembling Madness Stonegate

The Drovers Arms Restaurant & Country Pub

Self Catering Accommodation of the Year **

Heritage Escapes (York)

Roomzzz Aparthotels – York City

Staycity Aparthotels

The Enchantment Chamber

The Riverside York

Resilience and Innovation Award - Sponsored by Fabler & Co

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

The Antiques Centre York

York’s Chocolate Story

York Gin

Small Hotel of the Year - Sponsored by Hospitality Staffing

Galtres Lodge

Grays Court Hotel & The Bow Room Restaurant

The Judge’s Lodging

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year **

Fairfax House

Mother Shipton’s

York Army Museum

Taste of England Award**

Forest at Galtres Lodge

Mr Chippy York

Plush Café

The Bow Room Restaurant at Grays Court Hotel

The Drovers Arms Restaurant & Country Pub

Unsung Hero Award - Sponsored by LNER

Dean Court Hotel

Middletons Hotel

Galtres Lodge

*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 3rd March 2022 are available from today. Book your tickets here.

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Sarah Foster, Communications Manager at Make It York

Email: comms@makeityork.com

Notes to Editors:

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.

Key tourism facts (pre-covid):

8.4 million visitors annually, £765 million total visitor spend, supporting 24,000 jobs

Winners of the Visit York Tourism Awards 2020:

B&B and Guest House of the Year – sponsored by Booking.com
Winner: Woodlands Farm Thimbleby
Finalists: No.21 York

Business Events Venue of the Year – sponsored by Spark
Winner: The Grand, York
Finalists: Novotel, York Barbican, York Racecourse

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year – sponsored by Minster FM
Winner: Vale of Pickering Caravan Park
Finalists: Wolds Edge Holiday Lodges, York Holiday & Cycle Stop

Experience of the Year – sponsored by LNER
Winner: The Bloody Tour of York
Highly Commended: The Cookery School at The Grand, York
Finalists: Castle Howard, Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience

Event of the Year* - sponsored by LNER
Winner: York Maze Hallowscream
Highly Commended: York Minster - The Northern Lights
Finalists: JORVIK Viking Festival

International Tourism Award – sponsored by City Cruises York
Winner: The Grand, York
Finalists: OE Media

Large Hotel of the Year – sponsored by Streamline Taxis
Winner: The Grand, York
Finalists: Grantley Hall, Hotel Indigo York, The Principal Hotel

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year – sponsored by Fowlers of York
Winner: Castle Howard
Finalists: JORVIK Viking Centre, National Railway Museum

New Tourism Business of the Year – sponsored by Minster FM
Winner: Grantley Hall
Finalists: Northwood Trail, England’s Fairy Sanctuary, OE Media, Yorkshire Appetite Food Tours

Pub of the Year – sponsored by Hunter Gee Holroyd
Winner: The Drovers Arm Restaurant & Country Pub
Finalists: House of Trembling Madness (Lendal), The Ackhorne, The Botanist York

Self Catering Accommodation of the Year – sponsored by HomeAway
Winner: Wolds Edge Holiday Lodges
Finalists: Serenity Inn the City, The Enchantment Chamber

Shop of the Year* - sponsored by York BID
Winner: York Gin
Highly Commended: Bluebird Bakery
Finalists: The Balloon Tree Farmshop & Café, The Shop That Must Not Be Named

Small Hotel of the Year – sponsored by Yorkshire Laundry Services
Winner: Grays Court Hotel
Finalists: Dean Court Hotel, The Parisi Hotel

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year – sponsored by York Pass
Winner: Energi Trampoline Park
Finalists: Barley Hall, Locked in Games York, Mother Shipton’s Cave, York Army Museum

Taste of York Award – sponsored by Morrell Middleton
Winner: Roots, York
Highly Commended: The Whippet Inn
Finalists: Plush Café, The Star Inn The City, The York Roast Co

Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award – sponsored by Yorkshire Gas & Power
Winner: JORVIK Group of Attractions

Tourism Champion of the Year*
Winner: Ben Fry