Some of the best businesses in Southport will be competing for top honours when the 2024 Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards take place this week.
Southport ventures have once again been recognised across a number of categories, during an exceptionally competitive year with a record number of entries.
They will discover who was won awards at the stylish event at the Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool this Thursday (29th February 2024).
The annual awards recognise and reward excellence across the regions tourism and hospitality sector and are delivered by Growth Platform – Liverpool City Region Growth Company.
Being recognised as a finalist is a huge honour in such a competitive field.
Sunnyside Guest House in Southport has been shortlisted in no less than THREE categories.
The Windmill pub on Seabank Road is a Finalist for Pub Of The Year for the third year in a row, with The Hightown Pub & Kitchen another Sefton contender.
The B&B and Guest House of the Year will definitely see a Southport winner this year, with all three Finalists from our town: The Bowden Lodge; The Braemar Southport; and Sunnyside Guest House.
The Eden Warehouse on West Street in Southport is once again a Finalist in the Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year category.
Two of Southport’s most-loved local eateries have been shortlisted in the Hidden Gems category: Season Coffee, Bar and Kitchen, on King Street and Tik Taco on Coronation Walk, both in Southport town centre.
In Sefton, The Lake House in Waterloo has also been included in the top 10.
Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa is the only Sefton contender for Hotel of the Year, up against six contenders from Liverpool city centre.
Season Coffee, Bar and Kitchen in Southport and Tik Taco in Southport have been shortlisted for the Hidden gem category in the Liverpool City region Tourism Awards
The 19 categories this year include awards for Hotel of the Year, Experience of the Year, New Tourism Business and Unsung Hero. Twelve of the winners will then go forward to the Visit England Awards for Excellence in June 2024, at which Liverpool hotel, Titanic won gold at the 2023 ceremony earlier this summer.
Janet Nuzum, Sector Lead for Visitor Economy at Growth Platform said:
“We are delighted to have received record entries for the Tourism Awards this year as the support for the awards continues to grow and businesses recognise the value of being involved.
“In particular it is pleasing to see so many entries for the two new categories – Entertainment Venue of the Year and the Eurovision Experience Award which demonstrates the breadth of venues we have across the city region and also how businesses fully embraced Eurovision in such a unique way.
The team from The Windmill pub in Southport who attended the 2023 Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards
“Special thanks go to our experienced panel of judges who have had a difficult job in shortlisting this year as the quality of entries was so high.”
Bill Addy, Chief Executive at Liverpool BID Company and Headline Sponsor, said:
“What an incredible shortlist we have and how well they reflect our vibrant and committed tourism sector.
“We know how critical this industry is to our city region.”
Anthony and Larissa Duffey, who own the Sunnyside Guest House in Southport, have been awarded the coveted Gold Award by Green Tourism. The couple have spent the last 12 months learning to become beekeepers and cultivate their own beehives to make home-made honey for guests
The headline sponsor is Liverpool BID Company, with associate sponsors Liverpool ONE and Lexus Liverpool.
Other confirmed sponsors and event partners are ACC Liverpool, Bolland & Lowe, BDO LLP, The Guide Liverpool, Kimpton, Knowsley Safari Park, Liverpool Cathedral, Merseyrail, MSP Global, My Time, NML, The Metro, PIB Insurance, Ticket Quarter, Virgin Experience Days, West Midlands Trains and Wild Thang.
The full 2024 Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards shortlist is:
B&B and Guest House of the Year
The Bowden Lodge, Southport
The Braemar Southport
Sunnyside Guest House, Southport
Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year
The Eden Warehouse, Southport
Quest Apartments Liverpool City Centre
Staybridge Suites Liverpool
Hotel of the Year
Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa
Hope Street Hotel
INNSiDE by Melia Liverpool
Malmaison Liverpool
Novotel Liverpool Paddington Village
Pullman Liverpool
Titanic Hotel Liverpool
Business Events Venue
Escape Live Liverpool
INNSiDE by Melia Liverpool
The Jockey Club Venues – Aintree Racecourse
Spaces at The Spine
New Tourism Business Award
Brewery Bus Tours
Eureka! Science + Discovery
Liverpool Famous Walking Tours
Novotel Liverpool Paddington Village
Radisson Red Liverpool
Shakespeare North Playhouse
Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award
Sunnyside Guest House, Southport
Antonio’s Bar & Grill
Leonard Hotel Liverpool
Liverpool Philharmonic
Spaces at The Spine
The Palm House Sefton Park
Independent Tourism Business of the Year
Sunnyside Guest House, Southport
Arts Bar Hope Street
Fab 4 Taxi Tours
Liverpool Famous Walking Tours
Manifest
MerseyMade
Eurovision Experience of the Year
British Music Experience
Invisible Wind Factory presents Aquatopia – The Blue and Yellow Submarine Parade
John Lewis & Partners Liverpool
Liverpool Philharmonic
Liverpool Tourist Information Centre
National Museums Liverpool
Royal Albert Dock Liverpool
The City of Liverpool College
Taste of Liverpool Award – Café / Bistro of the Year
Bean Coffee Roasters Liverpool ONE
MerseyMade
The Watering Can
The Welsford Bistro
Taste of Liverpool Award – Restaurant of the Year
Antonio’s Bar & Grill
Baltic Market
Delifonseca Dockside
Manifest
The Art School
The London Carriage Works
Pub of the Year
The Windmill Southport
The Hightown Pub & Kitchen
The Red Fox Thornton Hough
Experience of the Year
Liverpool Famous Walking Tours
Liverpool Food Tours – A Taste of Liverpool Food Walking Tour
Mersey Tunnel Tours
National Trust, The Beatles’ Childhood Homes
The Magical Mystery Tour
Viking Quest Adventure Golf
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
LFC Stadium Tours & Experiences
Liverpool Cathedral
Mersey Ferries
Museum of Liverpool
National Trust, Speke Hall
The Beatles Story
Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
British Music Experience
Liverpool Beatles Museum
Strawberry Field
The Palm House Sefton Park
Entertainment Venue of the Year
Arts Bar Hope Street
Future Yard
Liverpool Philharmonic
Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse
Liverpool’s Royal Court
M&S Bank Arena
Shakespeare North Playhouse
The Cavern Club
Tourism Young Person of the Year
Yasmin Rainbow, Hilton Liverpool
Natash Elston, Holiday Inn Express Royal Albert Dock
James Duckworth, Shakespeare North Playhouse
Amber Kinrade, Strawberry Field
Alex Zervos, The Art School
Unsung Hero Award
Chris Duffy, Hilton Liverpool
Tracey Sellars, Holiday Inn Liverpool
Roy Forshaw, National Museums Liverpool
Caitlin French, Pullman Liverpool
Colin Hughes, Sefton Park Palm House
Me Terzza, Shakespeare North Playhouse
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