Lancashire Tourism Awards: The full list of finalists as Marketing Lancashire looks for the hotel wedding venue of the year, the top camping and glamping sites, the best dog-friendly business, and many others

Marketing Lancashire is full of praise of tourism and hospitality businesses saying they are “nothing short of remarkable” as it announces the finalists which are flying the flag in this year’s awards.

Rachel McQueen, Chief Executive of Marketing Lancashire, said: “It was always going to take time for the sector to recover from the last couple of years, but if there was ever a good sign that Lancashire tourism is bouncing back, it is in the calibre and creativity of this year’s finalists in the Lancashire Tourism Awards.

“They represent the very best of the county’s accommodation, attractions and hospitality businesses.

The finalists announced today will now progress to the next stage of the competition.

She said many of the finalists had demonstrated healthy bookings, improvements to their visitor offer and ambitious plans for the future.

Rachel said: “Lancashire’s tourism and hospitality businesses are nothing short of remarkable in their resilience and innovation.”

Some businesses appear in more than one category.

Burnley’s Crow Wood Hotel & Spa Resort is shortlisted in Business Events Venue of the Year, Large Hotel of the Year and Hotel Wedding Venue of the Year.

The Estuary Riverside Chalets in Hambleton appears in both the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award and New Tourism Business of the Year.

The Winter Gardens in Blackpool is being recognised in the shortlists for Business Events Venue of the Year, the Resilience and Innovation Award and the Cultural Venue/Organisation Award.

Blackpool Tower is shortlisted for Visitor Attraction of the Year, and Preston’s 263 Restaurant, under the culinary eye of chef Oli Martin, appears in the shortlist of the Taste Lancashire Award.

The full list of finalists is:

Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award *: Brickhouse Farm Holiday Cottages & Lakeside Hub, Hambleton; The Estuary Riverside Chalets, Hambleton; Fleetwood Beach Wheelchairs; Thornton Hall Country Park, Thornton-in-Craven

Business Events Venue of the Year *: Crow Wood Hotel & Spa Resort, Burnley; Ewood Experience, Blackburn; Merlin Events, Blackpool; The Wellbeing Farm, Edgworth; Winter Gardens Blackpool

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year *: Hedgerow Luxury Glamping, Newsholme; Newton Hall Holiday Park, Blackpool; Ribble Valley Retreat, Langho; The Secret Garden Glamping, Skelmersdale; Stanley Villa Farm Fishing & Camping, Greenhalgh

Cultural Venue/Organisation Award: Lancaster Grand Theatre; Samlesbury Hall; Winter Gardens Blackpool

Dog Friendly Business of the Year: Bella Vista Lodge, Blackpool; The Golden Ball of Longton; HAPPA, Shores Hey Farm, Briercliffe; The Lawrence Hotel, Padiham; Mowbreck Holiday Park, Wesham

Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award *: Hedgerow Luxury Glamping, Newsholme; Laythams Holiday Lets Retreat, Slaidburn: The Wellbeing Farm, Edgworth

Experience of the Year *: Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours; Blackpool Pleasure Beach ‘Walk The…’ Experiences; Countryside & Culinary Breaks at Dale House Barn, Slaidburn; Goosnargh Gin School Experience Days; Inch Perfect Trials Experience Day, Whitewell

Hotel Wedding Venue of the Year: Crow Wood Hotel & Spa Resort, Burnley; Mitton Hall, Mitton; Mytton Fold Hotel, Langho; Stanley House Hotel & Spa, Mellor

Lancashire Perfect Stay – Small Serviced Accommodation *; 3 Millstones Inn, West Bradford; Dale House Barn and B&B, Slaidburn; Fence Gate Lodge, Fence; The Lawrence Hotel, Padiham; The Royal at Heysham

Large Hotel of the Year *: Crow Wood Hotel & Spa Resort, Burnley; Foxfields Country Hotel, Whalley; Hampton by Hilton Blackpool; Mytton Fold Hotel, Langho

New Tourism Business of the Year *; The Estuary Riverside Chalets, Hambleton; Ribble Valley Retreat, Langho

Pub of the Year *: PLAU, Preston; Shireburn Arms, Hurst Green; White Bull Oswaldtwistle

Resilience and Innovation Award *: The Secret Garden Glamping, Skelmersdale; The Whitehall Hotel & Distillery, Darwen; Winter Gardens Blackpool

Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year *: Brickhouse Holiday Cottages, Hambleton; Laythams Holiday Lets Retreat, Clitheroe; Oakdean Cottages, Langho

Taste Lancashire Award *: 263 Restaurant, Preston; The Coach and Horses, Bolton-by-Bowland; La Locanda, Gisburn

Visitor Attraction of the Year *: The Blackpool Tower; The Flower Bowl Entertainment Centre, Brock; Thornton Hall Country Park, Thornton-in-CravenWedding Venue of the Year: The Mount Pavilion, Poulton: The Out Barn, Waddington: Samlesbury Hall: The Wellbeing Farm, Edgworth*The winners in these categories have the chance to progress to the national Visit England Awards for Excellence.

What happens next

The announced finalists will now go through to the next stages of the competition which includes a presentation, interview with judges, and in some cases “mystery shopping”.

Three categories, the Small and Large Event of the Year, and Taste Lancashire Producer award are still open for applications until Sunday September 18.

For more information go to lancashiretourismawards.com.

The finalists in the Unsung Hero award will be announced shortly.

All finalists will meet and be interviewed by the judges in early November, with the awards ceremony due to take place at the start of 2023.