Ripley Castle vies for tourisn Oscar
Photo: Ripley Castle

THERE'S good news for the regional tourism industry with the announcement this week that seven Yorkshire visitor attractions and businesses have made the final short list for an awards scheme known as the 'Oscars' of the tourism world.

Several businesses from the Yorkshire Dales area are included on the shortlist of the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence - a national competition organised by VisitBritain and sponsored by The Caravan Club.

The stately Ripley Castle with its magnificent gardens is contending for the title of Small Attraction of the year; fresh from hosting the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference, Harrogate International Centre is up for the Business Tourism award; And Moorlands Country House at Levisham, Nr Pickering, is aiming to be the best in the B&B / Guest Accommodation category.

All of the finalists qualified to enter the awards after winning the Yorkshire Tourist Boards' White Rose Award for Tourism.

David Andrews, chief executive of YTB said: "Seven finalists across twelve categories is the best short list performance we have had in the 18 years these awards have run. To put it in perspective, there are only 36 businesses from the whole of England on the short list and just under 20% of them are Yorkshire based. It's a testament to the hard work and dedication of the people involved in our tourism industry and their relentless quest for quality."

It's a testament to the hard work and dedication of the people involved in our tourism industry

David Andrews - YTB

Yorkshire, with seven finalists making the short list entries across twelve categories, rates equal first with historical rivals over the Pennines in the North West Regional Development Agency's territory. One NorthEast, the remaining northern region has five entries giving over 50% of the shortlist to Northern England.

The winners will be announced at a national awards ceremony on Wednesday 18 April at Banqueting House in London.