Winners announced in Yorkshire tourism awards
- Published
Kilham Hall Country House won Guest Accommodation of the Year
Yorkshire's favourite tourist attractions have been honoured at an annual awards ceremony.
A display of 40 giant toads in Hull - to mark the 25th anniversary of the death of poet Philip Larkin - scooped Tourism Event of the Year.
Other categories saw Harrogate's Rudding Park named Hotel of the Year and Barnsley's Cannon Hall Farm awarded Tourism Experience of the Year.
Organisers said the region was bucking the trend with a rise in tourism.
Almost 250,000 people are employed in tourism across Yorkshire in an industry which is worth £7bn a year to the county's economy.
Tourism body Welcome to Yorkshire said there were 216 million visits to the county each year.
It said a survey also showed spending by overseas visitors had risen during peak summer months, doubling from £33m to £59m in two years.
Judges said picking winners for each category was a tough task.
'Wonderful selection'
Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: "The awards evening is a spectacularly glittering affair and a real celebration of all that's amazing about Yorkshire tourism."
Yorkshire's Restaurant of the Year award was given to the The Black Swan in North Yorkshire
The Black Swan at Olstead secured the accolade for Yorkshire Restaurant of the Year and The Crown Inn in York beat off competition for Yorkshire Pub of the Year.
With holiday visits to the region showing an increase over the year, Kilham Hall Country House in Driffield was named Guest Accommodation of the Year.
On a similar theme, Swinton Park in Masham won Small Hotel of the Year and Crown Spa Hotel picked up the Sustainable Tourism Award.
The Sands Seafront Apartments in Scarborough was given the Self Catering, Cruisers and Serviced Apartments Award and Faweather Grange in High Eldwick was named the best in the holiday village category.
Other winners were: Business Tourism Award: Yorkshire Sculpture Park; Outstanding Customer Service Award: Robin Hood Caravan and Camping Park; Visitor Information Award: Harrogate Tourist Information Centre; Taste of Yorkshire Award: Fodder; Large Visitor Attraction of the Year: Newby Hall and Gardens; Small Visitor Attraction of the Year: East Riddlesden Hall.
Welcome to Yorkshire said the winners would go through to the National Visit England Awards for Excellence in 2012.