Lancashire chef honoured at regional tourism ‘Oscars’
Posted October 23, 2009 , comments closed) Accrington-born chef Nigel Haworth was honoured last night (Monday 28th September) at the sixth annual England’s Northwest Tourism Awards.
Co-Director of Northcote and one of the region’s greatest food ambassadors, Nigel was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award at Blackpool’s famous Tower Ballroom.
Nigel was one of four award winners from Lancashire and Blackpool to be named the best in the Northwest at the ceremony.
The Ashton in Lancaster took home the Bed and Breakfast of the Year award, for its impeccable standards and fantastic elegance. Blackpool Illuminations was named the Tourism Event of the Year for its ultra-modern approach to what is a Northwest institution. Tourism Experience of the Year was awarded to Farmaggedon near Ormskirk, a frightening but unique example of farm diversification at its best, and one of the world’s top 25 must-visit hauntings.
La Locanda Ristorante in Gisburn received a judges’ commendation in the Taste of England’s Northwest category.
Organised by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), the prestigious event aims to drive up the quality of the visitor experience across the region by rewarding excellence in the tourism industry. This year’s event was hosted by BBC North West Tonight presenter Ranvir Singh.
In addition to receiving a prestigious title and trophy, regional winners now have the opportunity to represent the Northwest in the national awards, organised by VisitEngland in April 2010.
Felicity Goodey, Chair of Tourism England’s Northwest said:
“The Northwest Tourism Awards have set a very high benchmark for the industry over the past few years. These winners are some of the best of the best. They are delivering a distinctive product, outstanding quality and value for money, that’s why even in the present economic climate they continue to do so well.
“These awards recognise and reward the leaders in what is a very competitive industry. I am confident we will do very well when some of them represent us in the national Enjoy England Awards for Excellence next year.”
Nick Brooks-Sykes, Director of Tourism at the NWDA, added:
“Tourism is an important industry in the Northwest, contributing over £13 billion to our economy every year. The NWDA is committed to helping the industry to improve its competitiveness, and these awards play an important role in encouraging the quality and standards that we need to be an international player. These businesses are setting the standards for others to follow.”
The Netflights Autumn Sale ends Midnight Tonight!
Posted , comments closed) If this rain isn’t enough to make you want to book a holiday, the prices in the Netflights autumn sale will be but hurry up and get booking, because it ends at midnight tonight!
The Netflights autumn sale has seen prices drop on flights, hotels and holidays worldwide. Over the last six days, Netflights customers have benefitted from up to a massive 60% off hotel prices, up to nearly £400 off worldwide flights, and brand new holiday packages, with free nights, free food and drink, free child places and reduced rates all up for grabs. Today is the last day you can take advantage of these fantastic prices so get booking!
If it’s inspiration you need this autumn, look no further than the latest offers pages at www.netflights.com, so jam packed with special offers and exclusive deals you’ll be spoilt for choice! Choose from a collection of brand new holidays in Thailand, Dubai, Florida and Barbados. Get some guaranteed sunshine if you book one of these fabulous packages before midnight tonight! What’s more, as part of the Netflights autumn sale, get up to four nights in amazing destinations like Las Vegas, Mauritius and Malaysia absolutely free, not to mention free half board and kids go free offers at world class resorts in stunning destinations, including Borneo, Bali, Orlando and the Maldives. Now that’s what we call a sale, and it ends soon!
British holidaymakers have struggled through the decidedly dreary “Credit Crunch” summer of 2009. But with the economy looking up, so Netflights flight fares come down, making this autumn the perfect time to book a holiday. Until midnight tonight, get cheap return flights to the USA, starting at an incredible £329, cheap flights to the ever popular Bangkok and Hong Kong at a jaw dropping £337, and return Dubai flights from only £269. Offers like this don’t come along every day, and this sale ends in just a few hours’ time, so visit www.netflights.com and see how much you could save on a fantastic last minute holiday this autumn.
About Netflights
Netflights is part of the Thomas Cook Group and guarantees fantastic offers on flights, hotels, holidays and car hire worldwide. Thousands of discounted airfares from over 135 airlines, reduced rates at over 15 000 hotels, great holiday offers and cheap car hire are all available at www.netflights.com, giving you easy access to all the latest and best travel discounts.
Netflights is a member of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), and every flight and holiday sold is ATOL protected, giving you full financial protection and complete peace of mind when booking whether online or over the phone.
To book, visit www.netflights.com TODAY. Sale ends midnight tonight!
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts Partners with Luxury Link
Posted , comments closed) Los Angeles, CA (October 7, 2009) - Luxury Link (www.luxurylink.com), the world’s premier online luxury travel resource, announces its partnership with Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts. The prestigious collection of hotels joins Luxury Link’s portfolio of world-class hotels, resorts and tour companies in over 60 countries, gaining instant access to the sophisticated Luxury Link consumer.
“Both Luxury Link and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts strive to bring unique luxury experiences to the discerning traveler,” said Diane McDavitt, president of Luxury Link. “Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts is renowned for its grace and style. We are excited about this partnership and look forward to making these special properties available to our travelers.”
Luxury Link will feature an exclusive section highlighting the latest news and travel offerings from Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts (http://www.luxurylink.com/mini/waldorf_astoria.php). Additionally, Luxury Link travelers will have full access to the Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts web site to facilitate comprehensive research on each property and direct booking.
“Luxury Link has become a premiere venue for sophisticated travelers to locate distinctive properties around the globe. As such, it is an ideal partner for Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts,” stated Kirk Thompson, Vice President of Marketing, Hilton Luxury Brands.
About Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts
Experience Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and The Waldorf Astoria Collection each one as singular and defining of luxury as the brand’s elegant namesake, the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in New York. From culinary excellence and sumptuous spas to world-class golf, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and the Waldorf Astoria Collection bring to life the legacy of unparalleled service and amenities in global destinations. Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts include Waldorf = Astoria New York and Waldorf Astoria Orlando (opening October 2009). The Waldorf Astoria Collection features 18 properties in six countries. For a complete list of properties and more information, visit waldorfastoria.com.
About Luxury Link
Founded in 1997, Luxury Link is where sophisticated travelers go for inspiration, to indulge their passion for discovering the world’s best places to stay and exceptional values. Showcasing hundreds of extraordinary hotels and resorts, cruises, tours and villas in more than 60 countries, LuxuryLink.com provides unparalleled access to exclusive offers and insider tips for the sophisticated traveler. For more information, please visit www.luxurylink.com or call 1-888-2973299.
HolidayHoliday.co.uk adds Millions of Cheap Holidays
Posted , comments closed) Popular website Holiday Holiday has added millions of holiday offers to its holiday website as demand for cheap holidays continues to grow.
During the last three months, the holiday website has increased the number of holidays advertised on its website by a staggering 4000% in response to consumer demand and as a result of the addition of many new advertisers to the site.
Says Emma Healey, Marketing Director “The decision to add more advertisers to the website was made as part of an overall strategic plan for Holiday Holiday as we grow the site to compete with other cheap holidays sites in the market. We have invested heavily in re-developing and re-designing the website in the last 6 months, in response to customer feedback and the ever growing demands of today’s holiday consumer. Visitors to the site have responded well to the changes so far, spending longer on the website, searching more holiday offers and making more enquiries, especially for last minute holidays.”
The increase in holiday offers is partly due to a significant deal signed with the Co-operative Group at the beginning of July, allowing all travel agents who are part of the group to advertise on holiday holiday. This includes the Freedom Travel Group and the Future Travel Homeworking group and means that Holiday Holiday benefits from advertising ABTA and ATOL bonded travel agents on its site, helping to ensure peace of mind for holidaymakers.
A snapshot of the millions of cheap holidays on the website demonstrates that the highest proportion of holiday offers at the moment can be found for destinations such as Egypt (especially Sharm el Sheikh), Cyprus, Spain and the Canary Islands. This is in response to the increased demand for winter sun destinations as the weather in the UK starts to turn colder. The availability of last minute holidays departing in the next three months is also high, with 50% of the holidays advertised allocated to October holidays, November and December holidays in 2009.
Emma continues “We are adding new travel agents onto the site every month, with that comes extra travel expertise and an increased availability of not only last minute holidays but also a wider range of holiday offers for the public to be able to take advantage of. Holiday Holiday will continue to constantly evolve and grow in line with the demand of holidaymakers and has many ideas and plans for the future to ensure the website becomes even more successful.”
ESSENTIALTRAVEL.CO.UK GETS PREMIUM TRAVEL AWARD
Posted , comments closed) October 12, 2009 - EssentialTravel.co.uk was delighted to accept the top gong for Best Travel Insurance Website at last night’s Travolution Awards.
Held at The Dorchester Hotel, the prestigious Travolution Awards celebrate achievement in innovation and outstanding strategy within the travel industry.
EssentialTravel.co.uk was shortlisted alongside five competitor websites in its category. Directors Stuart Bensusan and Philip Jordan attended the event and were delighted when it was announced they had won.
“We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award,” says Philip Jordan, Director, EssentialTravel.co.uk. “We work hard as a team to ensure that our website is user friendly, regularly updated and fun to use. To have been recognised by our peers in the industry is a huge honour.”
An independent panel of judges from across the industry felt that Essentialtravel.co.uk was a deserving winner due to its outstanding performance across all of the key categories, including functionality and clarity of product. The panel was also impressed by the high level of credibility of the services offered by EssentialTravel.co.uk.
Essential Travel is the winner of the 2009 Travolution Best Travel Insurance Website Award.
For further information and to book visit www.essentialtravel.co.uk or call 0845 803 5434.
For further press information please contact:
Lena Day/Carl Steer
Rooster PR
Tel: 020 7953 8777 / 8248
Email: lena.day@rooster.co.uk
Carl.steer@rooster.co.uk