Awards celebration for Cornish tourist attractions

Cornish tourist attractions are celebrating success as the finalists have been announced for the 2021/22 Cornwall Tourism Awards – and with Awards Day at the start of February, there’s only a short wait to find out if they’re taking home gold!

Members of Cornwall Association of Tourist Attractions, the parent company of Best Days Out Cornwall, dominated in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year and Small Visitor Attraction of the Year categories, with mentions in Wildlife Friendly Destination and Resilience and Innovation categories as well.

An increased 125 entries were received into the 2021/22 awards, with 66 selected as finalists who must now wait until Awards day on 3 February, when they will learn whether they have won Gold, Silver, Bronze or a Special award. A further 13 receive Commended status.

The 20^th year of the competition has seen many tourism businesses beset with ever-changing challenges, but the focus on excellence, innovation and resilience has remained as relevant as ever.

Deborah Heather of headline sponsors Quality in Tourism says: “I do love awards season when the Cornwall Tourism sector guarantees to step up to the plate. We at Quality in Tourism as headline sponsors enjoy the innovation and creativity we see and the way the county always leads from the front in terms of responsible practise, but this year especially resilience and adaptability have been key, and we wish everyone all the best.”

Malcolm Bell, Head of VisitCornwall, comments: “After two very challenging years, it is very exciting and also gratifying to see the dedication of the finalists to drive up quality, despite there being a pandemic with all its twists and turns to cope with – a very big well done to all of you.”

Awards organizer Robin Barker of Services for Tourism added: “It has been gratifying seeing so many hospitality businesses continuing to excel, despite every challenge thrown at them.  Congratulations to you all.”

The full list of finalists is:

ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE TOURISM AWARD, sponsored by Access Cornwall

Finalists

·         Harrods Cornish Cottages, Penhallow, harrods-cornwall.co.uk

·         Mylor Sailing and Powerboat School, Mylor, mylorsailingschool.co.uk, @mylorsailing

·         Sara’s Cottage, Truro, sarascottage.co.uk @SarasCottage

Commended

·         National Trust Godolphin, Helston, nationaltrust.org.uk/godolphin, @NTgodolphin

·         Wetwheels South West, Falmouth, wetwheelsfoundation.org/locations/southwest 

B&B AND GUESTHOUSE OF THE YEAR, sponsored by West Country Tea

Finalists

·         Chelsea House, Falmouth, Falmouth, chelseahousefalmouth.com

·         Coswarth House, Padstow, coswarthhouse.com

CAMPING AND CARAVANNING PARK OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Anytime Booking

Finalists

·           Treloy Touring Park, Newquay, treloy.co.uk, @treloytouring

·           Trevalgan Touring Park, St Ives, trevalgantouringpark.co.uk, @trevalgan

·           Trewan Hall, St Columb, trewan-hall.co.uk

Commended

·           Willow Valley Holiday Park, Bude, willowvalley.co.uk

 

CASUAL DINING, CAFÉ AND TEAROOM OF THE YEAR, sponsored by NFU Mutual

Finalists

·         Bango Kitchen, Penryn, theshellfishpig.co.uk, @TheShellfishPig

·         Olive & Co, Liskeard, olivecocafe.com, @Olivecocafe

·         The Rockpool, Hayle, therockpoolbeachcafe.co.uk

Commended

·         Lula, Hayle, lulashack.co.uk

DOG FRIENDLY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Pear Marketing

Finalists

·         An Bowji, Newquay, anbowjicornwall.co.uk

·         Gwelmor, Bude, gwelmor.com, @gwelmor

·         Kilminorth Cottages, Looe, kilminorthcottages.co.uk/offers, @kilminorth

Commended

·         Sara’s Cottage, Truro, sarascottage.co.uk, @SarasCottage

ETHICAL, RESPONSIBLE & SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARD, sponsored by South West Water

Finalists

·         Little Gwendreath Holiday Cottages, Helston, littlegwendreath.co.uk

·         Tregoad Holiday Park, Looe, watersideholidaygroup.co.uk/our-holiday-parks/cornwall/tregoad, @tregoadpark

·         Treloy Touring Park, Newquay, treloy.co.uk, @treloytouring

EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR (ACTIVE OR LEARNING), sponsored by Adventures by Bus

Finalists

·         iWalk Cornwall, Tintagel, iwalkcornwall.co.uk, @iwalkc

·         Mylor Sailing and Powerboat School, Mylor, mylorsailingschool.co.uk, @mylorsailing

·         The Tide Climbing Centre, Wadebridge, tideclimbing.com

Commended

·         Bodmin Jail Museum, Bodmin, bodminjail.org, @BodminJail1779

GLAMPING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Touch Stay

Finalists

·         East Thorne – Cornwall, Bude, east-thornecornwall.co.uk, @EastThorne

·         Ekopod, Launceston, ekopod.co.uk

·         Pengelly Retreat, Hayle, pengellyretreat.co.uk, @ruthie_pengelly

HOLIDAY PARK OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Stephens Scown

Finalists

·         Tregoad Holiday Park, Looe, watersideholidaygroup.co.uk/our-holiday-parks/cornwall/tregoad, @tregoadpark

·         Trelawne Manor Holiday Park, Looe, trelawnemanor.co.uk, @JohnFowlerHols

LARGE HOTEL OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Hotel Perfect

Finalists

·         Carlyon Bay Hotel, St Austell, carlyonbay.com, @CarlyonBayHotel

·         St Michaels Resort, Falmouth, stmichaelsresort.com, @StMichaelsHotel

·         The Land’s End Hotel, Penzance, landsendhotel.co.uk, @LandsEndHotel

Commended

·         Polurrian on the Lizard, Mullion, polurrianhotel.com, @PolurrianHotel

 

LARGE VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Love to Visit

Finalists

·         Cornish Seal Sanctuary, Gweek, sealsanctuary.sealifetrust.org, @Seal_Sanctuary

·         The Lost Gardens of Heligan, St Austell, heligan.com, @HeliganGardens

·         The Minack Theatre, Penzance, minack.com, @minacktheatre

·         Tintagel Castle (English Heritage), Tintagel, english-heritage.org.uk/tintagel, @EHTintagel

NEW TOURISM BUSINESS AWARD, Sponsored by PayDough.Me

Finalists

·         Higher Pendeen Camping, Mawgan Porth, higherpendeencamping.com

·         Three Mile Beach, Hayle, threemilebeach.co.uk, @ThreeMileBeach

·         Via Ferrata Cornwall, Penryn, viaferratacornwall.co.uk, @CornwallVia

Commended

·         Cart Shed Cottage, Truro, cartshedcottage.com

 

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO CORNISH TOURISM, sponsored by Visit Cornwall

·         To be announced later

 

PUB OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Vickery Holman

Finalists

·         The Barley Sheaf Gorran, St Austell, thebarleysheafgorran.co.uk, @TheBarleySheaf2

·         The Boathouse, Falmouth, theboathousefalmouth.co.uk, @TheBoathouseFal

·         The Peterville Inn, St Agnes, thepetervilleinn.co.uk, @ThePeterville

Commended

·         Trengilly Wartha Inn, Falmouth, trengilly.co.uk, @trengilly

RESILIENCE AND INNOVATION AWARD, sponsored by Plymouth Business School

Finalists

·         Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park and Martha’s Orchard, Constantine Bay, motheriveysbay.com & marthasorchard.co.uk, @MotherIveysBay & @MarthasOrchard

·         National Lobster Hatchery, Padstow, nationallobsterhatchery.co.uk, @PadstowLobster

·         The Minack Theatre, Penzance, minack.com, @minacktheatre

·         Trengilly Wartha Inn, Falmouth, trengilly.co.uk, @trengilly

 

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR, sponsored by The Samphire Club, thesamphireclub.co.uk

Finalists

·         Edie’s Kitchen, St Austell, edieskitchen.co.uk, @EdiesKitchen

·         Hotel Meudon, Falmouth, meudon.co.uk, @MeudonHotel

·         The Idle Rocks Restaurant, St Mawes, idlerocks.com, @TheIdleRocks

SELF CATERING ACCOMMODATION OF THE YEAR, sponsored by MiHi Digital

Finalists

·         Glynn Barton, Bodmin, glynnbarton.co.uk, @glynnbarton

·         Old Barn Tregonetha, St Columb, oldbarncornwall.co.uk, @oldbarncornwall

·         Sara’s Cottage, Truro, oldbarncornwall.co.uk, @SarasCottage

 Commended

·         My Cottages in St Ives, St Ives, mycottagesinstives.co.uk, @Cottages_StIves

 

SMALL HOTEL OF THE YEAR, sponsored by pkf Francis Clark

Finalists

·         The Idle Rocks, St Mawes, idlerocks.com, @TheIdleRocks

·         The Residence at Bolenna, Perranporth, bolenna.com

Commended

·         The Rosevine, Truro, rosevine.co.uk, @therosevine

SMALL VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Isles of Scilly Steamship Company

Finalists

·         Cornwall FootballGolf Park, St Austell, cornwallfootballgolf.co.uk, @Football_Golf

·         Museum of Cornish Life, Helston, museumofcornishlife.co.uk, @museumcornishlife

·         PK Porthcurno, Porthcurno, pkporthcurno.com, @PKPorthcurno

Commended

·         Bodmin Jail Museum, Bodmin, bodminjail.org, @BodminJail1779

SPA & WELLBEING EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR, sponsored by St Austell Print

Finalists

·         St Michaels Resort, Falmouth, stmichaelsresort.com/spa, @stmichaelsresort

·         Una St Ives, Carbis Bay, unastives.co.uk, @UnaStIves

 

TOURISM EVENT / FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Cornwall Airport Newquay

Finalists

·         To be announced later

 

UNSUNG HERO AWARD, sponsored by Cornwall Association of Tourist Attractions

·         Deborah Vosper, Bodmin Keep: Cornwall’s Army Museum, Bodmin, bodminkeep.org, @BodminKeep

·         Emma Fashokun, Cornish Gems, St Ives, cornishgems.com, @Cornish_Gems

·         Megan Walsingham, Polurrian on the Lizard, Mullion, polurrianhotel.com, @polurrianonthelizard

·         Sue Paull, Budock Vean Hotel, Mawnan Smith, budockvean.co.uk, @BudockVeanHotel

·         Zillah Zaufal, Bodmin Keep: Cornwall’s Army Museum, Bodmin, bodminkeep.org, @BodminKeep

 

VISITOR INFORMATION SERVICE OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Tregoad Holiday Park,

Finalists

·         To be announced later

 

WEDDING VENUE OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Cornwall Life

Finalists

·         Boconnoc, Lostwithiel, boconnoc.com, @BoconnocEstate

·         Polurrian on the Lizard, Mullion, polurrianhotel.com, @PolurrianHotel

·         Treseren, Newquay, treseren.co.uk, @TreserenC

Commended

·         Cornish Tipi Weddings, St Kew, cornishtipiweddings.co.uk, @OutsideBride

WILDLIFE FRIENDLY TOURISM BUSINESS AWARD, sponsored by Tevi in association with Cornwall Wildlife Trust

Finalists

·         Bosinver Farm Cottages, St Austell, bosinver.co.uk, @Bosinver

·         Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park, Padstow, motheriveysbay.com, @MotherIveysBay

·         National Lobster Hatchery, Padstow, nationallobsterhatchery.co.uk, @PadstowLobster

WINNER OF WINNERS

·         To be announced later

The Awards have been created by Services for Tourism Ltd, in close collaboration with the industry and destinations across the South West.

Services for Tourism Ltd is a private company led by Robin Barker  FTMI, former President of the Tourism Management Institute and the Awards were themselves awarded Outstanding in the Awards Trust Mark scheme in 2021. See www.services4tourism.co.uk  for more information.

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