Four Northumberland busesses have been named as a finalist in the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2015.
Tourism Event of the Year - Kielder Winter Wonderland
Large Hotel of the Year - Matfen Hall
Holiday Park/Holiday Village of the Year - Seafield Caravan Park, Seahouses
Sustainable Tourism Award - St Cuthbert's House B&B, Seahouses
The finalists now go forward to the glittering Awards Ceremony which is being held on Monday 11 May 2015 at the Sage Gateshead. The Awards will take place in the North East for the first time, coinciding with an exciting year that also sees Rugby World Cup 2015 coming to Newcastle
The VisitEngland Awards attracted a total of 345 applications. All 70 finalists will have to wait until the Awards Ceremony to find out which award they will receive. All are guaranteed to receive either a Gold, Silver, Bronze or Highly Commended Award.
James Berresford, Chief Executive of VisitEngland said: “It’s been another successful year for our Excellence Awards as we’ve received hundreds of applications of an extremely high standard. That’s why all the finalists should be incredibly proud that they’ve been short-listed against such tough competition. I’d like to congratulate all the finalists who now represent the top five in their category in England and wish them all the very best of luck on Awards night at the Sage Centre in Gateshead - a spectacular venue to celebrate the industry’s best.”
Speaking on behalf of Northumberland Tourism, general manager Jude Leitch said: "We are so proud of everyone at St Cuthbert's House, Matfen Hall, Kielder Winter Wonderland and Seafield Caravan Park. They have done a remarkable job to be nominated as finalists and we wish them every success at the VisitEngland Awards."