Some of Bath’s leading hospitality firms and venues will go head to head against the South West’s top businesses from the sector in the region’s tourism excellence awards next month.
Having out-performed their rivals in last week’s Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards – as revealed by Bath Business News – the Bath businesses have now gone forward to the South West Tourism Excellence Awards, which take place virtually on April 22.
Savouring Bath, which has staged walking tours that showcase the city’s amazing culinary scene since 2016, lines up in the Experience Of The Year (Active Or Learning) and Tourism Innovation categories after winning two Golds last week.
Other Bath contenders include five-star The Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa, which is in the running for in the Large Hotel Of The Year Award, and Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, the five-star former Palladian mansion set in 500 acres of parkland on the city’s doorstep at Colerne, which is challenging for the Spa & Wellbeing Experience Of The Year title.
Lucknam Park is also commended in the Large Hotel category while The Apartment – a two-bedroom luxury holiday home in Widcombe – is among those commended in the self-catering accommodation of the year category.
Savouring Bath, which was launched by director Mike James, runs tours that sample local produce and meet the makers while hearing tales of Bath’s culinary heritage.
Mike’s small team of locally based food fanatics also stage live virtual tours with the option for guests to have a tasting hamper delivered to their home.
Some 75 finalists and 33 commended businesses were selected for the awards from 416 entries from across Bath, Bristol, Somerset, Devon, Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Sponsored by South West Water, the awards programme opened for entry in March 2020, with plenty of adaptations and extensions along the way.
Launched prior to the first lockdown, judging has taken account of business entries, digital presence and feedback along with evidence of Covid-secure measures, with judges poring over entry forms, websites, social media and review sites prior to decisions taken by an independent panel.
Robin Barker, director of Services for Tourism Ltd, which manages the awards, said: “We so nearly cancelled this year’s awards but are so glad we continued. The reaction from businesses, the stories they’ve told and the innovation and inspiration we’ve witnessed among hundreds of small businesses has been humbling.
“We’re so pleased to be able to play our part in supporting such a deserving and important sector.”
Co-organiser Nell Barrington added: “I have been humbled to hear the stories from these just amazing businesses overcoming adversity and to see their excitement about welcoming back visitors.
“I look forward to the time when I can celebrate with them all in person. They have all worked so hard and rightly deserve this recognition. Congratulations to them all.”
