TOURISM businesses celebrated success at an industry showcase for excellence.

This year’s Dorset Tourism Awards saw a record amount of entries, more sponsors and the biggest event ever with an audience of almost 300 witnessing 66 trophies being presented.

Now in its fifth year, the awards celebrate the best of Dorset tourism and also as the route for county businesses to win in the regional and national awards.

Weymouth and west Dorset were well represented at the event and local firms came home with a number of top accolades.

Gold winners included the Pommery Dorset Seafood Festival (tourism event/festival of the year) Dorset House, Lyme Regis (bed and breakfast) Taste Cafe, Chesil Beach (cafe/tearoom), Higher Moor Farm, Weymouth (camping/caravan park), Golden Acre Holiday Bungalows, Bridport (dog friendly business), Town Mill, Lyme Regis (guided tour and small attraction), Greenwood Grange, Dorchester (self catering business), Mellulah Therapy & Yoga Retreats, Milton Abbas (spa and wellbeing experience), Bagwell Farm Touring Park, Weymouth (sustainable tourism), and the Acorn Inn, Evershot (tourism pub).

There was also praise for the Jurassic Coast Team which picked up the outstanding contribution to tourism award for its commitment to the coast and helping put Dorset on the international map.

CEO of the Jurassic Coast Trust Dr Sam Rose said it was an “amazing result”, adding: “We’re exceptionally proud of everything that our team has achieved for Dorset and the Jurassic Coast over the last 17 years.”

The Pommery Dorset Seafood Festival picked up gold for the third time.

Festival chairman Roger Dalton said: “Having just celebrated our 10th anniversary, winning gold is the icing on the cake of an incredible year. Just to be nominated in the awards is an honour in itself.”

He added: “We won gold in 2013 and 2015 and have worked so hard to progress the festival. This award is for everyone involved.”

It was a double celebration for Bagwell Farm Touring Park after reception manager Christina Guppy also recently graduated with a degree in tourism park management, and picked up a distinguished student award from Bournemouth University and Kingston Maurward College.

Park manager Karen Kennedy said of the tourism awards’ accolade: “It is a wonderful recognition of the efforts of our dedicated team. All of our staff played a role in this great achievement.”

Successful businesses in the awards will now be fast tracked into the South West Tourism Excellence Awards in February 2018 and possibly on to the National Visit England Awards in April 2018.

Chairman of the Judges, Professor Peter Jones said: “I’m delighted to report that the work of the panel becomes harder year-on-year. This is not just because of the number and the quality of the applications, but is a reflection of the commitment of the tourism businesses of whatever size and type in enhancing and developing the true authentic Dorset visitor experience.”

The ceremony was held for the first time at Lighthouse, Poole.

Winners

ACCESS AND INCLUSIVITY AWARD Gold BOD Bournemouth Silver Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre

ACTIVE AND SPORTING EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR Gold Loose Reins, Blandford Silver Go Ape Moors Valley

ARTISTIC, CULTURAL AND LEARNING EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR Gold All Hallows Farmhouse - Cookery School, Wimborne St Giles Silver Moors Valley Country Park and Forest

BED AND BREAKFAST OF THE YEAR Gold Dorset House, Lyme Regis Silver Home Farm House, Wimborne St Giles Bronze The Balincourt, Bournemouth Highly Commended Swallows Rest B&B, Weymouth

CAFÉ/TEAROOM OF THE YEAR Gold Taste Cafe at Chesil Beach Silver Worth Matravers Tea & Supper Room Bronze Aroma Cafe Bridport

CAMPING AND CARAVANNING PARK OF THE YEAR Gold Higher Moor Farm, Weymouth Silver Shamba Holidays, St Leonards Bronze Longthorns, Wareham

DOG FRIENDLY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Gold Golden Acre Holiday Bungalows, Bridport Silver Upton Country Park Bronze Lancombe Country Cottages & Lodges, Dorchester

GLAMPING & ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION OF THE YEAR Gold Loose Reins, Blandford Silver Bloomfield Camping, Blandford Bournemouth Beach Lodges

GUIDED TOUR OF THE YEAR Gold The Town Mill, Lyme Regis Silver Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre Bronze RNLI College, Poole

HOLIDAY PARK OF THE YEAR Gold Rockley Park, Poole Silver Highlands End Holiday Park, Bridport

LARGE ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR Gold Moors Valley Country Park and Forest Silver Swanage Railway Bronze Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre The Tank Museum

LARGE HOTEL OF THE YEAR Gold Christchurch Harbour Hotel Silver RNLI College, Poole Bronze Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO DORSET TOURISM The Jurassic Coast Team

OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD Katie Davies, Ranger at Moors Valley Country Park

RESTAURANT/BISTRO OF THE YEAR Gold Guildhall Tavern, Poole Silver Seasons at The Eastbury, Sherborne Bronze The Dorset Burger Company, Weymouth

SELF CATERING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Gold Greenwood Grange, Dorchester Silver Lancombe Country Cottages & Lodges, Dorchester

SMALL ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR Gold The Town Mill, Lyme Regis Silver Compton Acres, Poole Bronze Sandworld Weymouth

SMALL/BOUTIQUE HOTEL OF THE YEAR Gold Green House Hotel, Bournemouth The Grange at Oborne, Sherborne Silver Summer Lodge Country House Hotel, Evershot Bronze The Alexandra Hotel & Restaurant, Lyme Regis

SPA AND WELLBEING EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR Gold Mellulah Therapy & Yoga Retreats, Milton Abbas Silver La Vie Spa, Portland

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARD Gold Bagwell Farm Touring Park, Weymouth Silver The Alexandra Hotel & Restaurant, Lyme Regis Bronze Bloomfield Camping, Blandford

TOURISM EVENT/FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR Gold Pommery Dorset Seafood Festival, Weymouth Sherborne Abbey Festival Silver Great Dorset Chilli Festival, Wimborne St Giles The Original Shake & Stir Vintage Festival, Bournemouth

TOURISM PUB OF THE YEAR Gold Acorn Inn, Evershot Silver Three Horseshoes Pub & Kitchen, Burton Bradstock Bronze The Inn at Cranborne

VENUE AND BUSINESS TOURISM AWARD Gold The Italian Villa, Poole Silver Upton Country Park

VISITOR INFORMATION SERVICE OF THE YEAR Gold Swanage Information Centre Silver Discover Purbeck Information Centre Bronze Bridport Tourist Information Centre

WINNER OF WINNERS Loose Reins, Blandford