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2021/22 Tourism Awards Open for Entry

May 11 2021

Published within the category of Latest News

The 2021/22 Devon Tourism Awards are now open and businesses from across Devon are invited to submit their entries .

The Awards, now in their 12th year, cover all of Devon, including the English Riviera and Plymouth, offering businesses the chance to win not just locally, but to progress on to the regional South West awards and – for matching categories – the national VisitEngland awards .

The launch comes fresh from the conclusion of the 2020/21 awards, held in what was an extraordinary year for tourism, hospitality and the world. The awards had to change their format several times, with widespread praise from entrants including such comments as: “ Winning this award has made us feel that all our hard work and plans for the future have been acknowledged”. Other entrants listed the benefits of entering as increasing bookings, generating PR, boosting staff morale, as well as the free feedback on how their business could be improved. Find out more about the benefits here .

The 2021/22 awards categories  cover the full range of tourism-related businesses including pubs, cafes and restaurants as well as accommodation, wedding and business venues, attractions, events and experiences.  There is a new award for ‘Innovation and Resilience’, as well as opportunities to submit entries for unsung heroes, new businesses, dog friendly, accessibility and sustainability.

Awards organiser Robin Barker says: “The last year has highlighted the need for tourism to adapt and innovate, and the same applies to the Awards. This year sees new categories, new criteria and an extended entry period giving businesses the chance to enter early ‘before the rush’ or to leave it till they have welcomed more visitors if they prefer. We so look forward to engaging with everyone once again.”

The awards are free to enter as they are supported by many sponsors and partners . Deborah Heather, Director of headline sponsors Quality in Tourism , says: “The Devon Tourism industry’s response to what has been the most challenging situation and market in our recent history has been truly inspirational. Quality in Tourism is delighted to be Headline Sponsor once again for the 2021 Awards; we're so excited to see the best of the industry improve on one of the most innovative years we have ever experienced”.

A series of free online workshops is planned to help entrants, the first being on 25 May. All entries must be submitted online by 12 September but with hopefully a very busy summer ahead it is recommended that businesses start as soon as possible.

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Devon Tourism Awards – Finalists Announced!

Devon’s top attractions celebrate announcements of finalists at the 2023 devon tourism awards.

Some of Devon’s top attractions are celebrating being announced as finalists at the highly regarded Devon Tourism Awards . The winners will be announced at the ceremony planned for 16 November at the Riviera Centre in Torquay when these prestigious awards will be presented.

The finalists for the Large Visitor Attraction category feature not one but all four finalists are Devon’s Top Attractions members.

Devon’s Top Attractions’ Finalists include:

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year – RAMM , Seaton Tramway , the Donkey Sanctuary , the Milky Way

Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award – Seaton Tramway

Experience of the Year – The Story Tram, Seaton Tramway

Tourism Event/Festival of the Year Award – The Polar Express, Seaton Tramway

Anne Blackham, Marketing Manager said ‘We’re delighted for those members that have been named as finalists at the forthcoming Devon Tourism Awards. It highlights the quality and creativity that our member attractions demonstrate and the professionalism and inspiration they offer to their visitors who are looking for quality days out in Devon. We are looking forward to finding out which of our attractions will be collecting their well deserved awards on 16 November.’

All Devon’s Top Attractions are annually inspected to meet rigorous criteria and quality standards. This ensures that visitors experience high quality standards in terms of venue, facilities, content, service and value for money. Devon’s Top Attractions continue to work together to raise and maintain the quality standards of Devon tourist attractions.

During 2023 Devon’s Top Attractions have gone through a complete overhaul of their inspection process. They have increased their Quality Assured standards from 70% to a 75% pass rate and the inspections are now done digitally. Members are then given a full detailed report outcome covering all areas of the attraction and featuring heavily on standards and visitor experience. Only the very best attractions in Devon qualify for this prestigious quality assured rating and can be listed as one of Devon’s Top Attractions.

To find out who more of the winners are, see the Devon Tourism Awards website

Image is of Kents Cavern who won the Winner of Winners at the 2022 finals.

Main image above courtesy of Devon Tourism Awards & Nick Williams Photographer.

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Devon Tourism Awards 2023

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News 1st December 2023

Devon Tourism Awards 2023

Mid Devon businesses secure trophies from the Devon Tourism Awards Ceremony.

Devon tourism businesses were celebrating last week as the winners at the Devon Tourism Awards were announced. The evening was vibrant, full of music, laughter and happy tears were shared at the Riviera International Conference Centre in Torquay.

The awards cover a range of different categories including food and drink, accommodation, wedding and event venues, and attractions. Winning an award recognises the quality offer or service the business provides and we have a number of Mid Devon businesses flying the flag for our wonderful area of Devon!

Mid Devon businesses scooped four awards during the night including:

Valleyside Escapes , Bickleigh – GOLD Award for GLAMPING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

The Duck and Bean , Tiverton – BRONZE Award for DOG FRIENDLY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Tiverton Canal Co – Horse Drawn Barge & Living Heritage Attraction, Tiverton – BRONZE Award for SMALL VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR

Princess School at Bear Town , Cullompton – BRONZE Award for TOURISM EVENT / FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR

Congratulations to all our winning businesses!

Mid Devon is full of quality places to visit, stay, and enjoy a good meal. To find out more about Mid Devon’s countryside offer please visit our homepage .

Award entries opened in April and closed in June 2023. Finalists were announced in September and celebrated at November’s award event. For a full list of Devon winners visit https://www.devontourismawards.org.uk/winners

Thank you to Nick Williams Photography for the images.

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RAMM takes Gold at Visit Devon Tourism Awards

The museum has been recognised for its commitment to being sustainable, responsible and ethical. We are delighted to have been awarded Gold in the Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism category at the Visit Devon Tourism Awards.

Sponsored by South West Water, the category recognises organisations who are committed to being sustainable, responsible and ethical in how they operate and interact with individuals, the wider community and the environment.

Environmental impact

Over the past year RAMM has focused on addressing environmental issues in the museum. Highlights include:

• Hosting the Impressions Gallery’s touring exhibition Seedscapes Future-Proofing Nature
• Using environmentally-sustainable materials in exhibition design
• Practicing sustainable sourcing in the Shop at RAMM
• Keeping track of our annual carbon footprint using Julie’s Bicycle

Inclusivity and diversity

We are committed to creating a welcoming, accessible and positive space for everyone who visits the museum. There are a range of facilities to make RAMM more accessible from digitised close-up captions to a ramp for the museum garden.

We have also worked alongside disability support organisations CEDA, Magic Carpet and Pelican Project to co-design a monthly programme of visits called RAMMbingo.

Supporting wellbeing

Recent community projects such as RAMM at Home and Frame of Mind have helped to support the wellbeing of people of all ages living in Exeter and Devon during the pandemic.

We would also like to congratulate the category’s finalists: Brackenhill Glamping in Ivybridge (Silver); Lower Campscott Farm Cottages in Ilfracombe (Bronze); and Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway (Commended).

You can find the full list of this year’s finalists and winners on the Visit Devon Tourism Awards website.

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Join the outdoor adventure

Last chance to enter devon tourism awards.

Time is running out!

Businesses have just over a week left to showcase their exceptional achievements and be recognised among the best in the tourism industry.

The deadline for submissions for the Devon Tourism Awards is fast approaching, closing at midnight on 18th June.  

There are so many benefits from entering - constructive feedback to aid business development, engage and motivate teams by showcasing their hard work and dedication, gain great PR, get the chance to progress to the national VisitEngland Awards and much more. 

See what previous entrants have to say here:  https://www.devontourismawards.org.uk/how-to-enter/why-enter

Businesses can enter as many awards as they are eligible for and there are now new awards for consideration!

• Better Environment Award - recognises tourism businesses that demonstrate an excellent understanding of the need to better protect our environment with specific emphasis on protecting sewers. 
• Water Efficiency Award - recognises tourism businesses who are truly committed to be responsible in their water use and are committed to help reduce consumption. 

To enter these new awards, as well as explore other categories including Unsung Hero, B&B, Hotel, Holiday Park, Glamping, Campsite, Café, Restaurant, Pub, Attraction, Wedding Venue, Spa and Wellbeing and Experience of the Year, check out the link below:

www.devontourismawards.org.uk

The Devon Tourism awards are closing on 18th June. 

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