THE staff and volunteers working in tourism across the Blackmore Vale have been celebrating their success in the latest Dorset Tourism Awards. In an online ceremony held on February 4, nominated hotels, information centres and other travel services were recognised for their efforts within the sector, especially through the unprecedented times of the Covid-19 crisis. Locally, Shaftesbury Tourist Information Centre received the silver accolade against Bridport Tourist Information Centre in the Visitor Information Service of the Year category, and Sturminster Newton-based Farmstead Glamping received gold in the Glamping Business of the Year category and silver in the Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism category.
DORSET tourism businesses were handed a “much needed boost in tough times” at an emotional online awards ceremony. The Dorset Tourism Awards saw 61 awards presented in 22 categories, with a final Winner of Winners prize at the end of the event. The awards were held in five sessions online on Thursday at the end of an 11-month awards programme. Entrants were judged on a combination of their entry submissions, digital presence, reviews and external evidence. The Winner of Winners title went to Bournemouth’s Marsham Court Hotel, after it collected three gold awards: Hotel of the Year; Business Events and Wedding Venue of the Year; and Dog Friendly Business of the Year.
A TOURIST information centre (TIC) that has stayed open throughout the Covid-19 pandemic is now a finalist in a county-wide travel-based competition. The Dorset Tourism Awards is returning for 2021, albeit virtually as a result of the coronavirus crisis, and Shaftesbury TIC is a finalist in the Visitor Information Service of the Year category, against Bridport TIC. Despite what had felt like a quieter year for tourism, David Taylor, manager of Shaftesbury TIC, said the rise in staycations and walking holidays between the lockdowns in 2020 had caused the town’s volunteer-run centre to thrive. This is in addition to essential services it already offered the public, including topping up residents’ electricity and gas payment cards, distributing recycling containers and selling products for charity.