GO NORTH WALES TOURISM AWARDS WILL CELEBRATE THE... Best of the best
THE first ever tourism awards celebrating the spectacular successes of the £2 billion industry in North Wales are being launched.
The Go North Wales Tourism Awards, which will also showcase local produce, aim to highlight excellence in the region’s high flying hospitality and tourism sectors.
The awards are being run by private sector body North Wales Tourism, in partnership with Heart FM, and will be handed out at a gala dinner on Thursday, November 24 at Venue Cymru, Llandudno.
Heart FM presenters Spencer and Rachel will also be at the black-tie event.
North Wales is at the centre of the growing adventure holidays market and is earning recognition as a world leader thanks to developments like Zip World, Surf Snowdonia and the Snowdonia Pass provided by the Attractions of Snowdonia.
Tourism already employs 40,000 people across North Wales - which adds up to one in every seven jobs in the area.
At the same time more than £100 million of mainly private sector money is currently being invested in tourism-related projects in the region.
Official figures show that last year Conwy County attracted 6.71 million day visitors and 2.58 million staying visitors, up from 2014, while Gwynedd welcomed 6,8 million and saw £975 million invested in the local economy.
North Wales Tourism managing director Jim Jones said: “These awards are all about celebrating everything that’s wonderful in North Wales.
“They will showcase and celebrate the achievements, hard work and dedication of the hundreds of entrepreneurs who run businesses in this area.
“Tourism and hospitality are worth millions to the economy of North Wales, with the value growing every year. Thousands of people already work in the industry across the six counties and there’s the potential to grow this, to enable more jobs to be created.
“We want people to nominate their tourism business, by demonstrating their success and showing how they offer an exceptional experience to visitors - one that makes people return time and again to North Wales.
“I am very grateful to those businesses that have agreed to sponsor the different categories - their support will help us to showcase the very best in North Wales.”
Nominations can be made via the website GoNorthWalesTourismAwards.net until October 23. A judging panel will then draw up a shortlist in each category, with the winners announced on November 24.