Archbishop to present tourism ‘Oscars’
THE Archbishop of York is to present tourism’s regional Oscars at Yorkshire’s White Rose Awards.
Archbishop John Sentamu is to be the guest of honour at Welcome to Yorkshire’s prestigious tourism industry awards next month.
Dr Sentamu will present 15 awards to the winners on October 19 at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.
The Archbishop said: “I am thrilled to present these awards. When I arrived in Yorkshire four years ago, I received the warmest of welcomes. Yorkshire hospitality is second to none. Yorkshire has everything to offer visitors and these award winners have excelled in making that known.”
The 2009 White Rose Awards, which recognise Yorkshire’s best attractions, hotels, venues and individuals from the tourism industry, are organised by Welcome to Yorkshire, formerly the Yorkshire Tourist Board.
The event, which will be covered live by the BBC, will see guests and finalists enjoy a drinks reception and gala dinner. Welcome to Yorkshire expects more than 500 guests on the night, many of which will be interviewed live by the BBC as they walk up the red carpet.
Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire commented: “It is such an honour for us to have Archbishop Sentamu host our awards. Tickets are selling fast as this evening will be the most unique and prestigious date in the tourism industry’s diary. Having the Archbishop present our awards will make sure the White Rose Awards 2009 will be an evening to remember.”
All winners from the national categories are automatically entered into the national Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2010. Last year Yorkshire scored a hat trick, beating off hundreds of national attractions. Gold awards were scooped by Harewood House (Visitor Attraction of the Year – over 50,000 visitors), Noelle’s Cottages (Self-Catering Holiday of the Year) and The Pipe and Glass Inn (Taste of England Award).
The categories range from Visitor Attraction of the Year and Taste of Yorkshire Award, to Sustainable Tourism Award and Yorkshire Pub of the Year with a new category, Tourism Event of the Year, announced for 2009.
People interested in attending the awards should visit www.whiteroseawards.com, email whiteroseawards@yorkshire.com or call 0113 322 3508. Tickets cost £48.50 (inc VAT).
