Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Awards: Last chance to nominate

The district’s tourism industry enjoyed a bumper year, as thousands of people arrived to enjoy Le Tour. Its visit was orchestrated by Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, Gary Verity.

Hotels and businesses enjoyed a record-breaking year, and now you have the chance to nominate those on the front line for an exclusive award.

The awards are organised by David Ritson and Simon Cotton of Destination Harrogate.

At last week’s Y15 tourism conference in Scarborough, Mr Verity urged people to nominate ahead of the March 31 deadline.

He said: “One of the key strengths of Yorkshire is the warmth and down to earth nature of its people and we are pleased to support the Harrogate Hospitality & Tourism Awards as it rewards the ‘best of the best’ people who work in the tourism sector, either front of house or behind the scenes making sure visitors return to the area time after time.”

Attendee at Y15 Simon Cotton, Vice - Chair of Destination Harrogate was pleased to hear the news and agreed that these events will be a massive boost to the economy.

Simon said “Welcome to Yorkshire do a great job bringing visitors to Yorkshire and this event is a great reminder of that as well as it whetting the appetite for what is to come!

“We are very clear that it is our job in the hospitality industry to make sure these visitors have a great time in the area by providing high quality service, food, drink and accommodation to ensure they want to return in the future.

“To do this we need the very best people providing their very best, day in and day out. Our Hospitality and Tourism awards are recognition of that commitment and congratulate those people who set a benchmark across the town for others to emulate”.

The awards celebrate and reward outstanding individuals and teams who truly represent Harrogate as one of the country’s leading destinations for both business and leisure tourism.

Finalists for each award will be invited to an awards gala dinner to be held at the Royal Hall on June 1, 2015.

Nominate before March 31.

Complete the nomination form online at www.destinationharrogate.co.uk or fill-in a form which you’ll find across town in restaurants, hotels, bars and other public places. These can be handed in at the tourist information centre.

To attend the awards dinner and support your nominations visit the website for details, or call Sian Craig on 01423 858585.

The categories

Waiter/Waitress of the Year, sponsored by Harrogate Spring Water.

Bar Person of the Year, sponsored by Matthew Clark.

Chef of the Year, sponsored by Sykes House Farm.

Team of the Year, sponsored by Platinum Print.

Harrogate Ambassador, sponsored by Harrogate Chamber of Trade and Commerce.

Newcomer of the Year, sponsored by Harrogate College.

Unsung Hero, sponsored by Destination Harrogate.

Best Achievement of the Year, sponsored by Blue Line Taxis.

Outstanding Customer Service, sponsored by Leeds/Bradford International Airport.