Top performing UK tourism businesses, organisations and individuals were recognised at the UKinbound Awards for Excellence ceremony last night (Thursday).
The presentation took place in front of an audience of more than 350 tourism and hospitality professionals at Belfast City Hall.
The awards were presented at the end of the association’s two-day annual convention in the city.
Following self-nomination, the winners were decided by a panel of independent judges from across the tourism industry – Kurt Janson, former director of The Tourism Alliance; Jason Edwards, Jason Edwards Travel; and Dr Karen Thomas, director, Tourism and Events Research Hub, Canterbury Christ Church University.
The winners were:
Tour operator of the year – Angela Shanley Associates
OTA of the year – Get Your Guide
Accommodation provider of the year – Lake District Country Hotels
Attraction of the year – Blenheim Palace
Destination management organisation of the Year – Visit Kent
Sightseeing operator of the year – Mountain Goat Tours
Transport provider of the year – Uber Boat by Thames Clippers
Service provider of the year: professional services – TravelBeat
Service provider of the year: restaurants, retail and ticketing – Bustronome
Service provider of the year: technology – Vox Group
Sustainable tourism provider of the year – Game of Thrones Studio Tour
Young excellence award – Zoe Fleming, Liverpool Football Club
Members choice award – James Aitken, Cashel Travel
Chairman’s choice award – Rob Russell, AC Group
UKinbound chief executive Joss Croft said: “Last year, our inbound tourism industry saw over 31 million visits from international tourists to the UK who spent over £26 billion and although these statistics are not quite up to the visit and spend levels seen in 2019 – this is still a fantastic achievement against the backdrop of a tough global economic climate and ongoing recovery from the pandemic.
“As always, our Awards for Excellence are a great opportunity to reward and celebrate the industry and our members have once again all worked incredibly hard over the last 12 months and made a significant contribution to the continuing success of the sector.”