Sunderland and Seaham venues win gold, silver and bronze at North East Tourism Awards

Sunderland and Seaham venues scooped gold, silver and bronze accolades at this year's North East Tourism Awards.

Seaham Hall won gold in the Small Hotel of the Year category, with the new Holiday Inn in Keel Square taking silver and Seventeen Nineteen in the East End taking bronze in the New Tourism Business of the Year category.

Seventeen Nineteen, which has seen the major restoration and reinvention of the former Holy Trinity Church into an events space for the community, was also joint highly commended in the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award.

There was also recognition for Dalton Park in Murton, which won bronze in the Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award.

Meanwhile, Beamish Museum won silver in Large Visitor Attraction of the Year.

And there was a special mention for the popular TV drama Vera and author Ann Cleeves, who won the Outstanding Contribution to Tourism award for shining a light on the region and inspiring visitors to flock to filming locations.

Now in its 21st year of celebrating the region’s hospitality offer, this year's North East England Tourism Awards winners were announced at a ceremony at Newcastle Civic Centre.

Tracey Mienie, Centre Manager at Seventeen Nineteen, said:“We are immensely proud to have received these two awards and acknowledgement for our hard work in two vitally important categories and this has meant the world to the team.

"We would like to say thank you to our wonderful visitors and customers, amazing squad of volunteers, The Churches Conservation Trust, and of course the hard work of my team here at Seventeen Nineteen. We’d also like to thank The Heritage Lottery Fund and Sunderland City Council.

"Without their funding and support this fantastic project and ongoing key engagement wouldn’t be possible.”

Rob Dixon, general manager at Holiday Inn Sunderland, said: "Holiday Inn Sunderland City Centre was delighted to be shortlisted as a finalist in the New Tourism Business of the Year category at this year's North East Tourism Awards.

"Attaining a Silver Award is testament to the consistent efforts of the hotel team who continue to offer that famous North East welcome and hospitality. We thank the awards for recognising our efforts, and our congratulations to all nominees and winners across all categories. "

Delivered by Destination North East England and run in partnership with VisitEngland, the awards celebrate quality, innovation, and best practice, showcasing the fantastic range of high-quality experiences on offer for visitors in our region.

Destination North East England Chair, John Marshall, said: “This year’s winners were a fantastic example of the innovative and diverse range of tourism businesses we can offer visitors to the North East.

"Through Destination North East England we are working collaboratively with our delivery partners Visit County Durham and Visit Northumberland and in partnership with all seven local authority partners to unlock the potential of our visitor economy and we need to continue to support businesses such as these, and develop future products and experiences to ensure we claim our deserved spot on the visitor trail”.

Winners of the North East England Tourism Awards have the chance to progress through to the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, giving visitor economy businesses the opportunity to compete on national stage and showcase their business among the best in the country.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS AT 2024 NORTH EAST ENGLAND AWARDS

Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award

GOLD: The Alnwick Garden

SILVER: Northumberland National Park Authority

BRONZE: Spectrum Holidays

JOINT HIGHLY COMMENDED: Seventeen Nineteen; Vindomora Country Lodges

Business Events Venue of the Year:

GOLD: Crowne Plaza Newcastle Stephenson Quarter

SILVER: Event Durham, Durham University

BRONZE: Newcastle Civic Centre, Banqueting Suite

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year:

GOLD: Hadrian’s Wall Campsite

SILVER: Vindomora Country Lodges

BRONZE: Woodland Chase Glamping

Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award:

GOLD: Northumberland Zoo

SILVER: Kidlandlee Holiday Cottages

BRONZE: Dalton Park

Experience of the Year:

GOLD: Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours

SILVER: Blackfriars Cookery School

BRONZE: Athey’s Moor Flying School

Large Hotel of the Year:

GOLD: Rockliffe Hall Hotel

SILVER: Matfen Hall

BRONZE: Hotel Indigo Durham

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year:

GOLD: Whitehouse Farm Centre

SILVER: Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

BRONZE: Northumberland Zoo

JOINT HIGHLY COMMENDED: Hall Hill Farm; Ushaw Historic House, Chapels & Gardens

New Tourism Business of the Year:

GOLD: The Hiddle Hut

SILVER: Holiday Inn, Sunderland City Centre

BRONZE: Seventeen Nineteen

Pub of the Year:

GOLD: The Beresford Arms

SILVER: The Joiners Arms

BRONZE: Twice Brewed Inn

Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year:

GOLD: Kidlandlee Holiday Cottages

SILVER: Honeybee Cottage

BRONZE: Chesters Stables

Small Hotel of the Year:

GOLD: Seaham Hall

SILVER: Langley Castle Hotel

BRONZE: South Causey Inn

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year:

GOLD: The Spanish Gallery

SILVER: Kielder Observatory

BRONZE: Falconry Days

Taste of North East England Award:

GOLD: Blackfriars Restaurant

SILVER: The Old Boathouse

BRONZE: The Lord Crewe

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Spanish City

Unsung Hero:

GOLD: Duncan Wise, Northumberland National Park Authority

SILVER: Michelle Kindleysides, Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award:

Vera: TV Series and Ann Cleeves, author of the Vera book series.