We all know that Essex is a fantastic place to live, with so many activities to do and places to go. Now we can prove it to outsiders as Essex has won 2 categories in the East of England tourism awards. The East of England Tourism Awards were held in Bury St. Edmunds in October.
The winner of the Best Small Attraction was Layer Marney Tower near Tiptree, which has the tallest Tudor gatehouse in the country.
The winner for Outstanding Customer Service was won by Suzanne Evans from Hatfield Peveral’s Boon’s Calibre Travel.
Both of these East of England winners will now go on to be nominated for the National Tourism Awards which take place in April 2010.
Here are all the Essex businesses that were nominated for the Essex Tourism awards. The winners of each category went on to be nominated for the East of England Awards.
Essex Tourism Awards
Best Small Essex Attraction
- Winner – Layer Marney Tower – www.layermarneytower.co.uk
- Highly Commended – The Beth Chatto Gardens – www.bethchatto.co.uk
- Finalist – Royal Gunpowder Mills – www.royalgunpowdermills.com
Best Large Essex Attraction
- Winner – Colchester Zoo – www.colchester-zoo.co.uk
- Finalist – Adventure Island – www.adventureisland.co.uk
- Finalist – Audley End House and Gardens – www.english-heritage.org.uk/audleyend
Best Large Hotel
- Winner – County Hotel, Chelmsford – www.countyhotelchelmsford.co.uk
- Highly Commended – Radisson Blu Hotel London Stansted Airport – www.radissonblu.co.uk/hotel-stanstedairport
- Finalist – Park Inn, Harlow – www.parkinn.com
Best Small Hotel
- Winner – Great Hallingbury Manor – www.greathallingburymanor.co.uk
- Highly Commended – Maison Talbooth – www.milsomhotels.com/maisontalbooth/
Best B&B or Guesthouse
- Winner – Park Hall Country House – www.parkhall.info
- Highly Commended – Pier View, Southend – www.pierviewguesthouse.co.uk
- Finalist – The Victory, West Mersea – www.victoryatmersea.com
Best Self-Catering
- Winner – Pevors Farm – www.pevorsfarm.co.uk
- Highly Commended – The Coach House – www.grove-cottages.co.uk/suffolk-holiday-cottages/The%20Coach%20House
Tourist Information Centre of the Year
- Winner – Saffron Walden – www.visitsaffronwalden.gov.uk
- Highly Commended – Visit Colchester – www.visitcolchester.com
- Finalist – Southend – Tel: 01702 215620
The Sustainable Tourism Award
- Winner – Colchester Zoo – www.colchester-zoo.co.uk
- Highly Commended – County Hotel, Chelmsford – www.countyhotelgroup.co.uk
- Highly Commended – Old MacDonald’s Farm Park – www.omdfarm.co.uk
- Highly Commended – Great Hallingbury Manor – www.greathallingburymanor.co.uk
Event/ Festival of the Year
- Winner – Guardians to the King – www.cimuseums.org.uk
- Highly Commended – Barleylands Country Show – www.barleylands.co.uk/essex-country-show
- Finalist – Saffron Walden Arts – www.artsinwalden.org.uk
Best Tourism Experience (in association with Business Link)
- Winner – Tropical Wings – www.tropicalwings.co.uk
- Highly Commended – Southend Marine Activities Centre – www.southendmarineactivitiescentre.co.uk
- Finalist – Waltham Abbey Town Partnership – www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/business/business_networks
- Finalist – Rayleigh Mill and Museum – www.rochford.gov.uk
Outstanding Customer Service (in association with Essex Chambers of Commerce)
- Winner – Suzanne Evans, Boons Calibre Travel – www.boons-holidays.co.uk
- Highly Commended – Len Stuart, Royal Gunpowder Mills – www.royalgunpowdermills.com
- Highly Commend – Cheryl, Atlantic Hotel – http://www.bestwestern.co.uk
- Finalist – Front of House, Brentwood Theatre – www.brentwood-theatre.org