Visit York Tourism Awards 2022
The prestigious awards Visit York Tourism Awards ceremony returned on Thursday 3rd March 2022 with the best of York’s businesses going head to head to win one of 15 trophies. The event shines a spotlight on excellence in York’s tourism sector and rewards outstanding service, innovation, quality and resilience.
These prestigious ‘Tourism Oscars of the North’ was hosted by York Mix Radio Presenters Ben Fry and Laura Castle and held at the splendid York Racecourse. Eligible winners across a number of categories have been 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 included ‘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.
Congratulations to you all and a big thanks to everyone who entered!
Visit York Tourism Awards 2022
Taste of England Award
Winner:
The Bow Room Restaurant at Grays Court Hotel
Runners up:
Mr Chippy York
Forest at Galtres Lodge
Plush Café
The Drovers Arms Restaurant & Country Pub
Unsung Hero Award
Winner:
Adam Wardale, General Manager at Middletons Hotel - Part of the ‘House of Daniel Thwaites’ collective which is owned by Daniel Thwaites PLC
Runners up:
Frank Caulfield, Porter at Dean Court HotelNorbert Lawrie, Kitchen Porter at Galtres Lodge
New Tourism Business Award
Winner:
The Deathly Dark Tours
Runners up:
Malmaison York
Sandburn Hall Hotel
York Riverside Apartments
Self Catering Accommodation of the Year
Winner:
Heritage Escapes (York)
Runners up:
Roomzzz Aparthotels - York City
Staycity Aparthotels
The Enchantment Chamber
The Riverside York
Large Hotel of the Year
Winner:
The Grand, York
Highly Commended:
Sandburn Hall Hotel
Runners up:
Hotel Indigo York
Middletons Hotel - Part of the ‘House of Daniel Thwaites’ collective which is owned by Daniel Thwaites PLC.
The Principal York
Small Hotel of the Year
Winner:
Grays Court Hotel & The Bow Room Restaurant
Runners up:
Galtres Lodge
The Judges Lodging's
Resilience and Innovation
Winner:
The Web Adventure Park
Runners up:
The Deathly Dark Tours
The Drovers Arms Restaurant & Country Pub
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Trembling Madness Ltd
York Gin
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
Winner:
JORVIK Viking Centre
Runners up:
The York Dungeon
York Art Gallery
York's Chocolate Story
Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
Winner:
Mother Shipton's
Runners up:
Fairfax House
York Army Museum
Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year
Winner:
Wigwam Holidays Ball Hall Farm
Runners up:
Springwood Shepherd Huts Glamping York
Wolds Walk Glamping
Pub of the Year
Winner:
The Drovers Arms Restaurant & Country Pub
Runners up:
House of the Trembling Madness Lendal
House of the Trembling Madness Stonegate
Experience of the Year
Winner:
The Bloody Tour of York
Runners up:
Castle Howard
The Cookery School at The Grand, York
The Deathly Dark Tours
B&B and Guest House of the Year
Winner:
Tower Guest House
Runners up:
MonkBridge House
Westergate House
Event of the Year
Winner:
York Maze
Highly Commended:
That Jorvik Viking Thing
Runners up:
The Great Ryedale Maze
York Balloon Fiesta
Shop of the Year
Winner:
York Gin
Runners up:
The Antiques Centre York
York's Chocolate Story
#VYTA22
Judging
The Visit York Tourism Awards are judged by an independent panel of judges.
For all Awards the first stage is ‘desk judging’ – which is an evaluation of the online applications using a centralised scoring matrix. A shortlist of entrants is then selected from the application who will be our ‘Finalists for 2022’
Our judges look for evidence of excellence and best practice in all areas of the business operation. A strict word limit is set for each section/question and the online system will cut off at the maximum word count.
The finalists are then taking through a second round of judging which will be conducted through a ‘Mystery Shop’* and subsequent report. The judging panel will then meet to make a final decision utilising all the submitted and gathered evidence for the winners.
Mystery Shopping
This year we will continue to work with our Visit York member and local Regional Director, Ian Sadler from Insight6 to carry out the valuable mystery shopping for the awards.
Insight6 is one of the UK's leading Customer Intelligence organisations in the UK who work within the tourism sector and carry out thousands of high quality mystery shops every month.
As part of the process applicants of all categories will have the opportunity to meet with Ian and after the awards ceremony will be offered a review meeting to go through the completed report on your business.
*Only one category this year will not be mystery shopped – Event of the Year. The second round of judging for this category will comprise of a face to face interview.
Please note: Shortlisted businesses must agree to waive all costs associated with the mystery shopper process.
All applicants for the 2022 Awards, including those who do not reach the shortlist stage, will receive feedback on their application via the Openwater system.