LONDON, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- England's official tourism body is to reward heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic in its annual awards ceremony.

Announcing this year's winners of its annual excellence awards, Visit England said Tuesday it plans next year to reward heroes of the pandemic in recognition of businesses and individuals within the tourism industry who have demonstrated innovation, resilience and adaptation along with support for their local communities during the crisis.

A total of 19 winners were announced during a virtual awards event, chosen from hundreds of tourism businesses including hotels, self-catering accommodation, glamping operators, attractions, restaurants, pubs, museums and conference centres.

Among this year's winners were Wookey Hollow caves in Somerset, receiving a gold award as Experience of the Year, with a Robin Hood tour in Nottingham collecting silver.

The International Tourism Awards Gold went to the International Bomber Command Center in Lincolnshire, Silver to the Roman Baths and Pump Room in Bath, Somerset and bronze to Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.

The Large Visitor Attraction of the Year Gold went to the Old Royal Naval College in London, the architectural centerpiece of Maritime Greenwich, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Silver was awarded to the Roman Baths and Pump Room in Somerset and Bronze to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London for The Making of Harry Potter.

Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, England's tourism industry has hailed this year's winners of Visit England's annual gongs for excellence.

Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston said the industry supports millions of jobs across the country.

"This important sector has been hit hard by the coronavirus and we have helped with an unprecedented package of measures including the job retention scheme, a years' business rates holiday," he said. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)