16 hopefuls for White Rose awards (From Gazette & Herald)

16 hopefuls for White Rose awards

THE Yorkshire Tourist Board (YTB) has revealed the finalists in this year's prestigious White Rose Awards for Tourism.

With 79 of the region's top tourism businesses named as finalists across the 14 categories, the Ryedale and Scarborough districts are well represented with 16 finalists. The Ryedale and Scarborough district finalists are:

Best Newcomer to Tourism: Lockton Youth Hostel, Lockton.

Guest Accommodation of the Year: Grinkle Lodge Country Guest House, Staithes; Low Penhowe, Malton; The Moorlands Country House Hotel, Levisham.

Small Hotel of the Year (up to 50 bedrooms): Feversham Arms Hotel Ltd, Helmsley.

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year (under 100,000 visitors): Helmsley Castle; Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Whitby.

Caravan Park of the Year: Scarborough Camping & Caravanning Club Site, Scarborough.

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year (100,000 visitors and over): Castle Howard, Coneysthorpe.

Taste of Yorkshire Award: Castle Howard, Coneysthorpe.

Self Catering Holiday of the Year: Beech Farm Cottages, Wrelton; Eastgate Cottages, Pickering; Keld Head Farm Cottages, Pickering.

Tourism Website of the Year: Low Penhowe, Malton; Eastgate Cottages, Pickering.

Outstanding Customer Service of the Year: Scarborough/Whitby/Filey Tourism Bureau.

Speaking of the awards, David Andrews, the tourist board's chief executive, said: "These finalists represent what is best about tourism in Yorkshire. Not only did they have to prove they have a quality product, but their approach to staff development, training, accessibility and customer service were all scrutinised.

''To get this far is an achievement in itself. Those who go on to win a category will certainly deserve it. "

The Ryedale and Scarborough district finalists will find out whether they have won a coveted White Rose Award for Tourism at a glittering awards ceremony on the evening of Tuesday, October 4 at the National Railway Museum in York.

Until then the names of the winners (to be decided on August 3) will remain the region's best kept secret, strictly under wraps until the moment the gold envelope is opened and the winner announced to the audience of nervous, hopeful finalists and guests.

Updated: 13:39 Wednesday, June 29, 2005