Member Article

Liverpool city region tourism awards shortlist announced

The shortlist has been revealed for the 2014 Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards – whittled down from a large number of quality entrants.

The awards panel, tasked with “recognising the very best in tourism that the Liverpool City Region has to offer”, has selected 50 entrants across 13 categories to go forward to the final judging round.

The Liverpool One shopping precinct is the award’s headline sponsor – with its established reputation as one of Europe’s leading retail and leisure destinations. Built around the existing streets of Liverpool, the 1.65million sq ft contemporary open-air complex is a key destination for those who love to shop, eat, drink and relax.

Category sponsors include Virgin Trains, restaurant chain Viva Brazil, the Hoteliers Association, City Central BID and Commercial District BID, ACC Liverpool and Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

The countdown is now on to see who will be crowned winners of their respective categories at the event, to be held at St George’s Hall on May 22.

The hard work now begins for the panel of leading industry experts who must select the winners from the shortlist for each category.

Peter Avis, manager of Richard Branson’s Babylon restaurant at the Kensington Roof gardens in London; Hamish Anderson, head sommelier and wine buyer at The Tate, Helena Egan, Head of Destination Marketing Sales for TripAdvisor and Sara Wilde-McKeown, chair of Liverpool City Region’s Visitor Economy Board and Managing Director of Paver Smith are among names on the panel this year.

The awards, which are being held on behalf of the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, are now in their fourth decade of continued recognition of Liverpool’s vibrant tourism industry and its valued contributors.

Shortlisted Candidates:

Hotel of the Year Formby Hall Hilton Hope Street Hotel Malmaison Ramada Plaza Southport

Guest Accommodation of the Year International Inn Merebrook House Wirral Peel Hey Wirral

Serviced Apartments of the Year Bridge Street Apartments Hollywood Barges Liverpool (Titanic/Yellow Sub/Joker) Staybridge Suites

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year Childhood Homes of Paul McCartney and John Lennon (National Trust) Darkstar Ultimate Laser Arena St Helens Open Eye Gallery Port Sunlight Museum Wirral

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year Beatles Story Knowsley Safari Park Liverpool Anglican Cathedral Liverpool Central Library Liverpool Football Club Museum of Liverpool

Taste Liverpool Caffe Cream Wirral Delifonseca London Carriage Works Lunya Malmaison Brasserie

Best Tourism Event and Experience Battle of the Atlantic Chagall: Modern Master (Tate Liverpool) Liverpool Philharmonic 2013 Programme Shiverpool

Bar of the Year Hub Alehouse & Kitchen Malmaison The Wro Wirral

Best Tourism Marketing Project Chaghall: Modern Master (Tate Liverpool) Liverpool ONE – Where Style Comes to Life Shiverpool

Excellence in Business Tourism ACC Liverpool Hilton Liverpool National Museums Trading Liverpool – Conference and Events Team The Conference Centre at LACE

Sustainable Tourism Caffe Cream Wirral Ness Botanic Gardens Wirral

Outstanding Customer Service Dave Brown – Merseyside Maritime Museum Lillian Moore – Liverpool Empire Theatre Phillip Davies – Jury’s Inn Liverpool Simon Breedon – Sudley House (National Museums Liverpool)

Tourism Ambassador Gemma McGowan – The Isla Gladstone Ginette Goulston – Beatles Story Peter Rosenfeld – BusyBus Sightseeing Tours Sharon Simons – Malmaison

Registration for tickets is now open.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .