TWO local companies are finalists for the awards known as the region?s ?Tourism Oscars?. Lakeside at Roadford Lake is a finalist for the ?Business tourism award of the year?, and the Spirit of Adventure in Princetown is the finalist for ?Best tourism experience award of the year?. The South West Tourism Excellence Awards, which are held in association with First Great Western, aims to reward and promote quality within the tourism industry. Entrants needed to demonstrate a high standard of customer care and continual improvement of facilities, along with accessibility for disabled customers and an emphasis on local food and drink. Julian Crow, general manager for First Great Western, said: ?This is an extremely strong field of candidates across a range of attractions and accommodation throughout the South West. ?These businesses are standard bearers for the quality and diversity of the region?s tourism industry. Ultimately, the continual drive to push up standards means visitors to the South West are the real winners.? Malcolm Bell, chief executive of South West Tourism, added: ?I would like to congratulate all of the finalists for this year?s excellence awards. ?The finalists have all demonstrated the importance of investing in quality and are therefore helping the South West region to create a sustainable tourism industry for the future. ?In these increasingly competitive times it is those who invest in quality that are proving to be the business winners, over those who do not. We have some great finalists this year and I am sure that the South West will have an excellent chance of gaining more accolades at the national awards in 2007. The final judging will take place at the end of September when one gold and two silver winners will be selected from each award. These winning businesses will be invited to a celebratory dinner near Bristol in October where the winners will be announced.
