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Tourism chief hails destination of distinction

As tourism businesses in the North East received a raft of awards, the new chair of the public and private partnership that works on their behalf - Tourism Tyne & Wear – hailed the quality and diversity of the attractions.

Hilton Newcastle Gateshead general manager, Guy Hilton, was recently appointed chair of the Area Tourism Partnership for Tyne and Wear, which is tasked with ensuring visitors enjoy the best possible experience.

He said: “This role is an exciting challenge and having so many award-winning venues really consolidates our position as a destination of distinction.”

At the North East England Tourism Awards ceremony, several top tourist attractions in Mr Hilton’s area landed gold awards.

The Newcastle Marriott Hotel, Gosforth Park, was voted best large hotel, Jesmond Dene House scooped the small hotel award and Centre for Life won the large visitor attraction top award. Taste of North East England went to Café 21 in Newcastle.

Guy said: “An awards ceremony like we have recently witnessed really brings home the plethora of quality tourist attractions on our doorstep.

“I am relatively new to the North East and the thing I’ve noticed is a sense of real collective identity in the way this region not only works together as a tourist destination, but also in the way it is perceived as a warm, welcoming place to visit.

“There is an enormous amount to look forward to in this role and I’m keen to add all my years of experience in tourism to provide direction and support.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .