More trophies were handed out than ever before to celebrate businesses across the county at the 2019 Dorset Tourism Awards.
A record 78 trophies were presented to tourism businesses at the awards dinner, held at The Tank Museum on Thursday, November 17 with guest speaker Simon Cripps, Chief Executive of Dorset Wildlife Trust.
Now in its seventh year, the Awards broke all records in celebrating the best of Dorset tourism and also as the route for Dorset businesses to win in the South West and national VisitEngland awards.
This year saw a new category for Dog Friendly Pub along with many category changes at the celebratory dinner, with awards presented by BBC Dorset’s Steve Harris and an inspiring talk about Dorset’s wildlife by Simon Cripps.
Winners had been through what is recognised as one of the country’s most rigorous judging processes involving assessment of entry forms, 115 judging visits and ending with decisions by an independent panel.
The prestigious Winner of Winners trophy went to Bagwell Farm Touring Park in Weymouth for their consistency in winning the sustainable tourism Gold award for the third successive year.
Karen Kennedy, Park Manager at Bagwell Farm Touring Park said: "We were delighted to receive our third consecutive Gold in the Ethical, Responsible & Sustainable Tourism category and completely overwhelmed to have been named Winner of Winners amongst such incredible company.
"It is fantastic to receive this recognition which is a great testament to the hard work put in by our team all year round to make sure that this is a great place for our wildlife as well as for our guests."
Other multiple Gold winners were Jurassic Coast Guides, the Tank Museum and Tankfest.
Nick Fernyhough, partner at headline sponsors Saffery Champness said: “What a fantastic evening.
"The awards have demonstrated the depth and quality of the tourism industry in Dorset with so many worthy winners.
"Dorset’s tourism offering continues to go from strength to strength and it is a privilege to be involved with so many people and organisations that are contributing in so many ways to the Dorset economy.
"Standards seem to rise every year and it is great to see so many new names amongst the winners.
“Robin and his team do a fantastic job putting on this event which showcases all that is best about the visitor experience in Dorset.”
The Dorset Tourism Awards have seen year on year growth since their launch in June 2013. Robin Barker, who has led the awards throughout this development, has been delighted with progress: “Tourism is a global industry and no-one can afford to stand still.
"It is so rewarding to see so many Dorset tourism businesses take on this challenge, investing so much in their businesses and in being the best. Huge congratulations to everyone.”
Successful businesses in the Dorset Awards will now be fast tracked into the South West Tourism Excellence Awards in February 2020 and possibly into the national VisitEngland awards later in the year.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS 2019
ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE TOURISM AWARD sponsored by Purple Cloud
Gold - Durlston Country Park National Nature Reserve, Swanage
Silver - Shire Hall Historic Courthouse Museum, Dorchester
Bronze - West Bay Play Area, Bridport
ACTIVE AND SPORTING EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Dorset Tourism Association
Gold - Cumulus Outdoors, Wareham
Silver - RockReef and PierZip on Bournemouth Pier, Bournemouth
Bronze - Lyme Bay RIB Charter, Bridport
B&B AND GUESTHOUSE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Goadsby
Gold - Wooden Cabbage, Dorchester
Silver - Mory House, Southbourne
Bronze - Gutchpool B&B, Gillingham
Commended - St John’s Guest House, Weymouth
BUSINESS EVENTS & WEDDING VENUE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Insight6
Gold - Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth
Silver - The Green House Hotel, Bournemouth
Bronze - Mapperton Weddings, Beaminster / Upton Country Park, Poole
CAFÉ & TEAROOM OF THE YEAR sponsored by The Book & Bucket Cheese Company
Gold - Yellow Bicycle Café, Blandford Forum
Silver - The Gallery Café, Pallington
Bronze - Taste Café on Chesil Beach, Weymouth
Commended - The Coach House Café, Beaminster
CUSTOMER SERVICE SUPERSTAR AWARD sponsored by Bournemouth Water Services
Winner - Pete Abbott, The Café at Upton Country Park
DOG FRIENDLY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR sponsored by Forthglade
Gold - The Grove Arms, Ludwell
Silver - Lancombe Country Cottages & Lodges, Dorchester
Bronze - Upton Country Park, Poole
ETHICAL, RESPONSIBLE & SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARD sponsored by NFU Mutual
Gold - Bagwell Farm Touring Park, Weymouth
Silver - Bridport Tourist Information Centre, Bridport
Bronze - The Grange at Oborne, Sherborne
Commended - Farmstead Glamping, Sturminster Newton
FORTHGLADE DOG FRIENDLY PUB OF THE YEAR sponsored by Forthglade
Gold - The Grove Arms, Ludwell
Silver - Milton Arms, Blandford Forum
GLAMPING & ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION OF THE YEAR sponsored by Quality in Tourism
Gold - Farmstead Glamping, Sturminster Newton
Silver - Dorset Forest Garden Glamping, Beaminster
Bronze - The Seaside Shepherd’s Hut, West Bexington
HOLIDAY PARK OF THE YEAR sponsored by Elavon
Gold - Highlands End Holiday Park, Bridport
Silver - The Waterside Holiday Park & Spa, Weymouth
Commended - Durdle Door Holiday Park, Lulworth / Oakdene Forest Park, St Leonards
INTERNATIONAL VISITOR EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Simpleview
Gold - Jurassic Coast Guides, Milborne St Andrewn / Tankfest, The Tank Museum, Bovington
LARGE HOTEL OF THE YEAR sponsored by Hotel Perfect
Gold - Christchurch Harbour Hotel & Spa, Christchurch
Silver - RNLI College, Poole
Bronze - Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth
Commended - Moonfleet Manor Hotel, Weymouth
LARGE VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR sponsored by Pear Communications
Gold - Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park, Poole / The Tank Museum, Bovington
Silver - Moors Valley Country Park & Forest, Ringwood
Bronze - Swanage Railway, Swanage
LEARNING EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Conker Spirit
Gold - Jurassic Coast Guides, Milborne St Andrew
Silver - Lulworth Outdoors, Wareham
Bronze - RNLI College Discovery & ALC Tours, Poole
Commended - Birds of Poole Harbour, Poole
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO DORSET TOURISM sponsored by Saffery Champness
Winners - Libby Battaglia, Light Up Poole / John Baker, Sherborne Abbey Festival
NEW TOURISM BUSINESS AWARD sponsored by Visit Dorset
Gold - West Bay Discovery Centre, West Bay
Silver - Farmstead Glamping, Sturminster Newton
PUB OF THE YEAR sponsored by Porter Dodson
Gold - Three Horseshoes Pub & Kitchen, Burton Bradstock
Silver - Acorn Inn, Evershot
Bronze - The Halfmoon, Shaftesbury
Commended - The Fat Badger, Weymouth
RESTAURANT/BISTRO OF THE YEAR sponsored by Piddle Brewery
Gold - The Jetty, Christchurch
Silver - The Ollerod, Beaminster
Bronze - Arbor Restaurant, Bournemouth / Seasons at The Eastbury, Sherborne
Commended - Drgnfly, Poole
SELF CATERING ACCOMMODATION OF THE YEAR sponsored by Dorset Food & Drink
Gold - Greenwood Grange, Higher Bockhampton
Silver - Merry Hill Barn, Luxury Dorset Cottages, Abbotsbury
Bronze - Doles Ash Farm Holiday Cottages, Dorchester
Commended - Burnbake Forest Lodges, Corfe Castle
SMALL HOTEL OF THE YEAR sponsored by Clockwork
Gold - The Green House Hotel, Bournemouth
Silver - The Eastbury, Sherborne
Bronze - The Grange at Oborne, Sherborne
SMALL VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR sponsored by Resort Dorset
Gold - Shire Hall Historic Courthouse Museum, Dorchester
Silver - Dorset Heavy Horse Farm Park, Verwood / Langham Wine Estate, Dorchester
Commended - Sculpture by the Lakes, Pallington
SPA & WELLBEING EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Taurus
Gold - Mellulah Therapy & Yoga Retreats, Milton Abbas
Silver - Christchurch Harbour Hotel & Spa, Christchurch
Bronze - Lovegrove at The Ollerod, Beaminster
TOURING CAMPING AND CARAVANNING PARK OF THE YEAR sponsored by ClubWifi
Gold - South Lytchett Manor Caravan and Camping Park, Dorchester
Silver - East Fleet Touring Park, Chickerell
Bronze - Wood Farm Caravan Park, Charmouth
Commended - Higher Moor Farm Campsite, Weymouth
TOURISM EVENT/FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR sponsored by Yellow Buses
Gold - Tankfest, The Tank Museum, Bovington
Silver - Sherborne Abbey Festival, Sherborne
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