Seaham Hall and Visit County Durham shortlisted in prestigious Visit England tourism awards

Seaham Hall and Visit County Durham are among those shortlisted in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2020, an event that champions the very best of the country’s tourism industry.

The luxury spa hotel, along with Seahouses bed and breakfast, St Cuthbert’s House, Northumbrian and Scandinavian fusion restaurant, Hjem, will represent the region at the national awards, which will take place in a virtual event on Monday 17 August.

The shortlisted businesses were automatically put forward to compete at a national level after being recognised at the regional North East England Tourism Awards 2020 in April this year.

Five-star Seaham Hall has been shortlisted in the Small Hotel of the Year category. The hotel previously scooped Gold at the regional awards after impressing a panel of industry experts and a visit from a mystery shopper.

North East destination management and marketing organisations NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI) and Visit County Durham have also been shortlisted alongside Destination Bristol in a new special category, the International Distribution Award.

The category recognises destinations committed to increasing the international distribution of their tourism products and acknowledges their

move towards creating more online bookable products and experiences for tourists via the new Tourism Exchange GB (TXGB) distribution platform.

VisitEngland chief executive, Sally Balcombe, said: “These awards celebrate businesses and individuals in tourism across England who have exceeded expectations and delivered excellence during the last 18 months and it is fantastic to see such an outstanding list of finalists."

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