Blackpool Attractions in Final for the 2014 VisitEngland Awards for Excellence
2 April 2014
by Visit Blackpool
Blackpool’s Resort Pass and Sandcastle Waterpark have made the finals of the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2014.
As a finalist the Blackpool Resort Pass and Sandcastle Waterpark now go forward to a glittering Awards Ceremony which is being held on Monday 12 May at Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire.
The Blackpool Resort Pass has been named as a finalist in the Tourism Experience of the Year category just days after the Resort Pass was relaunched for the 2014 season. VisitBlackpool was nominated for the category after it scooped the Marketing Initiative Award at the Lancashire Tourism Awards.
Meanwhile Sandcastle Waterpark has been shortlisted for the third year running in the Access for All category – they currently hold the Gold Award in this category.
The Blackpool Resort Pass and Sandcastle Waterpark will have to wait until the Awards Ceremony to find out which award they will win but all finalists are guaranteed to receive either a Gold, Silver, Bronze or Highly Commended Award.
The Blackpool Resort Pass was the brainchild of VisitBlackpool and is the first of its kind in the UK offering visitors access to up to nine of the resort’s top attractions at huge discounts.
Cllr Graham Cain, Blackpool Council Cabinet Member for Tourism and Leisure, said: “This is great news for Blackpool. The VisitBlackpool team worked with partners across the resort last year to get the Resort Pass up and running with huge success.
“A targeted marketing campaign ran across the country to ensure its popularity and to hear it has made the VisitEngland finals as it is relaunched for 2014 is wonderful news.
“The Blackpool Resort Pass is all about working together to give our visitors the best possible experience at the best possible prices. The Pass does this extremely well and this success has clearly been recognised.
“We are also delighted for the Sandcastle Waterpark too as their award clearly recognises the tremendous work they have undertaken to ensure their fantastic attraction can be enjoyed by all.”
Sandcastle Waterpark Managing Director John Child added: “This is really great news especially for all the staff who work so hard at ensuring we get this right time after time. Last year we were shortlisted and went on to win the National Gold Award so fingers crossed that happens again this time.
“To even be shortlisted for what is now three years in a row is a remarkable achievement, to win Gold two years in a row would be a dream come true”.
The VisitEngland Awards attracted 368 applications for the 2014 Awards – an increase of 15% on 2013.
James Berresford, Chief Executive of VisitEngland, said: “I would like to congratulate all those nominated as finalists for this year’s VisitEngland Awards for Excellence. We receive hundreds of applications each year of an extremely high standard, so it is a tremendous achievement for the Blackpool Resort Pass, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Sandcastle Waterpark to become finalists and to represent the top five in their category in England. I wish all the finalists the very best of luck for the Awards Ceremony in May.”
Book your Blackpool Resort Pass here