Judges’ praise for firms offering warm welcome (From Worcester News)

Judges’ praise for firms offering warm welcome

3:00pm Monday 20th June 2011 in Local By Richard Vernalls, @rvernallsWN #worcsnews

THE votes are in and the judges’ decisions final for the firms handing out the warmest welcomes to county visitors.

Malvern’s Three Counties Showground hosted the third Worcestershire Welcome Awards honouring the best and brightest of the county’s tourism champions on Friday.

The public were asked to nominate their picks for the awards, and judges then visited the short-listed nominees as showcased in the Worcester News.

Destination Worcestershire – which organised the event – set up the awards to reward those firms driving the growing demand from tourists near and far choosing to visit the county.

Leading the judging criteria were use of county produce, from the humble asparagus to the seasonal strawberry, each firm’s passion for the area, and its efforts to educate visitors about what’s on offer around the county.

In the Bed and Breakfast/Guest Accommodation of the Year category, Tiltridge Farm at Upton-upon-Severn was judged the winner, with Overwood Bed & Breakfast at Bromsgrove and Windrush Bed and Breakfast, at Broadway, highly commended.

The Best Tourism Event and Festival Award went to the Pershore Plum Festival with Worcester Music Festival and the British Asparagus Festival highly commended.

Hotel of the Year was The Elms Hotel & Spa at Abberley, with the Evesham Hotel the runner-up.

For Visitor Attraction of the Year the Cob House Fishery at Wichenford was declared victorious with the Worcestershire County Museum and Severn Valley Railway both highly commended.

The Self-Catering Holiday of the Year was at the Forest View Retreat at Callow Hill, with JDR Leisure at Powick Mills in Worcester and Broadway Manor Cottages highly commended.

In the Taste of Worcestershire category, the Orchard Cafe at Worcester was judged the winner with the Green-house Cafe at Holloways at Suckley and Fusion Brasserie at Stoulton, near Pershore, both highly commended.

The Outstanding Customer Service gong went to the Severn Valley Railway at Kidderminster, while JDR Leisure at Worcester and the Orchard Café at Worcester were highly commended.

In the newly struck Business Tourism Award this year, the Cotswold Conference Centre at Broadway came out on top, with Deer Park Hall at Eckington highly commended.

Simon Tipple, of Destination Worcestershire, said: “The awards highlight the strong offering we have in the county with nominations for each category put forward by visitors themselves.

“Our congratulations go out to all winners and short-listed entries and we wish them well representing the region in the national tourism awards later this year.

“More and more businesses are seeing the benefits of the awards and finding out from the awards about how to do things which keep people coming back to Worcestershire.

“We have a lot to offer in the county and it is important we keep shouting about it.”

The winners were presented with a plaque to display outside their business and all the finalists received a framed certificate.

The winners and short-listed entries will also be fast-tracked to the later stages of the national tourism awards later this year.