Centre wins gold in regional tourism awards
Staff and volunteers at WWT Washington Wetland Centre are celebrating after scooping a major tourism award.
The centre has been named the region’s Best Small Visitor Attraction in the North East England Tourism Awards 2012 and now goes forward to the prestigious grand finals, being hosted by Visit England in May.
It is the third time in four years that WWT Washington has clinched the top accolade, as well as taking bronze in the Sustainable Tourism category for 2012.
Centre manager Doug Tuck said: “The North East is home to a thriving and competitive tourism industry, so to be recognised as being up there with the best is a real honour and a reflection of all the hard work and commitment shown by our dedicated staff and volunteers.
“WWT Washington Wetland Centre is a unique day out; a nature reserve home to an abundance of wonderful wetland wildlife and habitats, where people can have fun, learn and connect with nature, while at the same time see sustainability in action – a truly diverse experience which is summed up perfectly by these two awards."
Sarah Stewart, chief executive at destination management and marketing organisation, NewcastleGateshead Initiative added: “The enthusiasm we’ve seen from businesses for this year’s North East England Tourism Awards has been fantastic.
“The results demonstrate the quality and innovation within the visitor economy from across the whole region and I’d like to congratulate all of the winners on their success.
“The judges were highly impressed with the quality of entrants and all of the shortlisted businesses should be proud of their achievements.”
Watch this space for news of any success in the national finals! :-)
