Quality in Tourism

Quality in Tourism has been relaunched as an independent accreditation service, offering grading, mystery shopping and specialist tourism and hospitality expertise.

Our experienced team have worked in various tourism and hospitality roles, giving them a true empathy and understanding of the issues within the industry. From mystery customer visits and website reviews to RevPAR and marketing analysis, we work with our members to offer practical help and assistance, with the aim of driving additional sales and increasing profit.

Our assessor team can star rate your property without the prescriptive standards of other schemes, recognising your quality and its appeal to customers, without insisting on outdated physical measures irrelevant to your customers. Our entry level scheme gives assurances to your customers, it is appropriately named Safe Clean & Legal TM. We offer special accolades to help you promote your properties to customers looking for your particular offerings.

Our experience, expertise and insight into the industry allows us to respond to current trends and assist members to deliver what the customer actually wants.

Clockwork Marketing

Clockwork Marketing has spent a quarter of a century fuelling the growth of hospitality businesses, with a focus on independent hotels and holiday parks.  They understand the critical aspects of hospitality marketing, unfamiliar to industry outsiders, such as:

• How customers use hotel websites
• Current hospitality marketing trends
• Room yield and other industry KPIs
• Channel Managers & booking engines
• Google Analytics relating to hotels and holiday parks
• Shoulder months

Clockwork fuses this inside knowledge with ever creative marketing and unique growth strategies. The result? Businesses with strong personalities, clear voices and the right tools to convert interest into direct revenue.

In the digital world, Online Travel Agents are giants. Clockwork helps properties take bookings back and strengthen their independence from the OTAs.

They are the marketing force behind some nationally respected tourism brands, and provide a complete service, including – web design, SEO, digital marketing, direct mail, email marketing, branding, marketing management (inc social media) and copywriting.

Visit Exmoor

Visit Exmoor works on behalf of businesses and partners to promote the Greater Exmoor area to visitors. It is the guardian of the Exmoor brand and works to promote an area including the Quantock Hills, West Somerset and Exmoor National Park. As the largest tourism industry body in the area, Visit Exmoor believes passionately in the delivery of high quality visitor experiences, and so is thrilled to be a sponsor. Visit Exmoor is a key player in helping to shape the work of the Hinkley Tourism Action Partnership and ensuring that the area benefits from the development of Hinkley Point C.

Pear Communications

Pear is the leading tourism, arts & events print distributor across the South West of England. Years of hard work, dedication and investment have resulted in their unrivalled networks to ensure their clients leaflets, brochures and posters reach their target markets.

As a result of Pear’s dedication, they work in close partnership with Visit Dorset, Visit Bristol, Visit Bath and Visit Somerset among other DMOs in the South West.

Pear are the only distributor with significant coverage in Supermarkets and Motorway Services (both Print and Digital). They are also the only distributor that guarantees 100% coverage of all graded Accommodation Providers and AirBnb style properties through their Covid-safe Visitor Packs.

Age UK Somerset

Age UK Somerset is the largest charity working with and for older people in Somerset and North Somerset.  We are an independent local charity responsible for raising all our own funds which are only spent in the area.   With our local population increasing in age (in our area - Somerset and North Somerset -  1 in 4 of the population will be 65+ within 3 years. Nationally this doesn’t happen for another 20 years), our role to promote the wellbeing and independence of older people and add value to later life, is more important now than ever.

With the wide variety of services we offer (including information & advice, 100s of exercise sessions, a befriending service to reduce loneliness, toe nail cutting, benefit claims assistance, projects to get and keep people out of hospital), we put the needs of older people at the heart of what we do.  We are delighted to sponsor this award to find tourism businesses that are taking the same approach.

Visit Somerset

Visit Somerset is the official destination management organisation for the county. We work on behalf of members and partners to support the development of tourism and promote the traditional county of Somerset to domestic and international visitors. We are delighted to be a sponsor for these awards which reward and focus on quality since this is crucial in attracting and retaining customers. As sponsors we are representing the Hinkley Tourism Action Partnership; a public/private partnership working to ensure that the tourism industry is in the best shape to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the development of Hinkley Point C.

Visit Bath

Visit Bath is the destination marketing organisation responsible for promoting the UNESCO designated World Heritage site of the city of Bath, as well as the surrounding areas, towns and villages to domestic and international visitors. VisitBath works closely with the public and private sectors to deliver an annual programme of consumer focussed marketing and campaigns, together with activity focussed on developing routes to market through the travel trade. The company also manages the city’s Visitor Information Centre and runs events including the renowned Bath Christmas Market.

Clarks Village

Located in the heart of Somerset, Clarks Village opened in 1993 and was the first shopping outlet centre in the UK. Set within beautiful, award-winning landscaped gardens, this unique shopping experience offers discounts of up to 60% off RRP at over 90 high street and designer brands, including Wonderbra, Hobbs, Joules, Ben Sherman, Osprey London, Molton Brown, Hamleys, Lindt and the largest Clarks Factory Outlet store in Europe.

With impressive green credentials itself, Clarks Village won the Green Apple award for environment and waste management, for its commitment to a programme of consistent environmental improvement. The Village also has more than 100 solar panels installed and a dedicated recycling programme in place, making it one of the greenest shopping centres in the UK.

What's On Somerset

Somerset. We love it. We live in it. We write about it. We entreat people to savour this remarkable county, the land of the summer people.

In our twelfth year, What’s on Somerset is delighted to be associated with the Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards. Talent and hard work deserves recognition and accolations.

Bath Ales

Bath Ales is the brewer of a distinctive range of premium, authentic and inventive beers for the discerning drinker. From its west country base, Bath Ales brews a range of consistently superior and well-crafted beers. Founded in 1995, Bath Ales’ new chapter began in July 2016, when it was acquired by St Austell Brewery – one of only 28 independent, family-owned brewers in the country.St Austell Brewery, established in 1851 – and one of Cornwall’s oldest businesses – committed to investing in a new brewery at Bath Ales which opened its doors in May 2018. Fronted by flagship ale Gem, the four-vessel brew house (Hare Brewery) has the capacity to produce more than 50,000 brewers’ barrels of beer –over 14.5 million pints! With 12 new fermenting vessels in place, the south west’s most sophisticated and technologically advanced brewery has doubled the available brewing capacity at Bath Ales. Bath Ales beers are available in supermarkets nationwide and in pubs across the country. An exciting schedule of new beers have launched alongside the brewery opening, including an IPA – Lansdown – and premium English lager, Sulis – both now available in Tesco stores nationwide.

Vickery Holman

As one of the most established and well respected firms of Surveyors, Vickery Holman deliver property consultancy services across the South West. With offices in Truro, Plymouth, Exeter and Bristol they deliver local expertise within the region to their regional and national clients. Regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors their local experts offer a full range of services and specialise within the leisure industry to provide:-

Commercial sales, acquisitions as well as business rates consultancy for hotels, holiday parks and self-catering complexes;
Service charge administration and management for commercial property and holiday parks;
Valuation for secured lending, accounting and tax purposes;
Building surveying services including surveys for purchase, project management and planned maintenance and new developments.

Hotel Perfect

At Hotel Perfect we don’t just sell software, we use our collective experience and extensive knowledge of technology to bring you an all-encompassing hospitality package. Our range of products include a Property Management System (PMS), Direct Online Booking Engine, Channel Management, Hospitality EPoS, Dashboard Reporting, Guest Relationship Management; and an array of APPS and additional products and services to help maximise revenue and increase efficiency.

A well-established company based in the South West providing specialist IT solutions to the hospitality industry throughout the UK.

Forthglade

Forthglade have made natural dog food in the heart of Devon since 1971, using only the finest ingredients sourced from the UK where ever possible. With both complementary and complete foods, each with exceptionally high meat content, the nourishing recipes are hypo allergenic and free from junk and fillers. Forthglade is proud to make wholesome delicious meals for pets that is tail-waggingly good. For further information visit our website

The Samphire Club

A private members club launched in April 2016 to promote effective networking throughout the South West and London.

Made up of invited members and corporate partners from the private sector, The Samphire Club will be small enough to be exclusive but with the connections and know-how to bring the South West and London closer together.

Our members enjoy great company, great times and make valuable business connections while relishing the finest food and drink the South West has to offer.

Member benefits include:

A club magazine and membership card with privileges
4 free events a year
Business networking events
The satisfaction of helping us raise funds for our nominated charities and attending the annual charity dinner.
The Samphire Club: good for members, good for business and good for London and the South West.

Sunflower Social Media | Social Media Management and Solutions

Sunflower Social media is highly experienced, hugely efficient, plain speaking and good value for money! We offer a flexible, professional social media management service that is tailored specifically to your needs, whether by the hour, day, week or month.

Mendip District Council

Mendip is a largely rural district with five distinctive towns - Frome, Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, Street and Wells - that has the additional benefit of being close to the economic prosperity of Bristol and Bath. 

Whilst the majority of businesses are small-medium in size, the district is home to established global companies and brands including Clarks, Mulberry, Blackthorns and the Glastonbury Festival.

Weston College

Weston College, one of the largest education and training providers in the UK supporting 30,000 annual course enrolments, recognised as outstanding by Ofsted, and recipients of the Queens Anniversary Prize for Further and Higher Education.

The college supports the tourism industry across the south west by providing apprenticeships, training, student industry placements, working with businesses to inspire our students to succeed in the visitor economy sector. We are proud to be sponsoring the Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards and look forward to joining the finalists in November at the Winter Gardens Pavillion in Weston-super-Mare to celebrate the success of the industry.  

North Somerset Council - Economy Team

The Economy team’s role is to support the development of North Somerset as a significant business location. 

By delivering projects and programmes which stimulate growth, inward and local investment and higher productivity, we aim to transform the economic fortunes of our businesses and secure improved living standards for our residents.

Tozers

Tozers are the award-winning leading lawyers when it comes to park law. As legal advisers to the British Holiday and Home Parks Association for over 65 years, we are at the cutting edge of legal developments affecting the parks industry. Our dedicated and experienced team advise parks businesses small and large, throughout the whole of England and Wales, on a wide range of issues.

With over 165 colleagues, we offer a comprehensive legal service for both our commercial and private clients by taking the time to get to know you and your business.

Tozers has been repeatedly listed in the Legal 500 and Chambers in a number of fields.

Lovegrove Essentials

A unique and flexible skincare brand from natural and organic ingredients that harness the many therapeutic uses of plant essences and essential oils, not just for their topical benefits on the skin, but also for their effect on the mind and the body.  The range is carefully structured so that the adaptogenic properties of the ingredients allow the individual products to be used separately and together, giving different levels of support for a variety of skin types.

Their range of courses for professional therapists aim to provide bespoke training for individuals and teams who wish to adapt their business to benefit from the growing interest in and demand for high quality natural and organic products.

Worldpay

As a global leader in payments, Worldpay from FIS offers simple, seamless payment solutions to help businesses drive commerce and deliver better customer experiences. Serving 1M merchant locations globally and processing 75B transactions annually, Worldpay offers business expertise, data-driven insights, and innovative products to help support businesses who are looking to modernize and reach new markets.  

By working with you, for you, and by your side, we aim to help you harness opportunities, address challenges, and meet emerging needs.  With Worldpay from FIS as your partner, you have access to a range of payment technology products and experts to help support you.

·         24/7 UK based support
·         Technical expertise
·         A range of payment products including virtual terminal and payment gateway

We are here to support you through your business journey and to enable you with the right payments solutions for your business and to enhance the experience for your customers.  Whether you are looking to change providers or get more out of your payment technology we are here to help.

£1 MONTHLY CARD TERMINAL RENTAL FOR 2021 There’s light at the end of the tunnel, and you’re gearing up to open your doors again. We’re here to help your payments run smoothly when they do – and save you money in the process.

With that in mind, we’re offering you the opportunity to get your card terminals for just £1 initial monthly rental (excl. VAT) per terminal for the rest of the year when you join before 31 May 2021. But remember, the sooner you sign up, the more you stand to save. Eligibility criteria, exclusions, T&Cs and other charges apply.  Call Kev Smith 07880 457 673 or email kevin.smith2@fisglobal.com, T&Cs: https://go.worldpay.com/headline-offer.

Visit South Somerset

With miles of footpaths winding through unspoilt countryside, accessible rivers and cycle trails, bustling market towns and picturesque villages the destination of South Somerset is just what you need to take time in nature and enjoy quality time with friends and family. Visit the lowlands of the Levels or the hillforts at Ham Hill and Cadbury to get a unique view of historic houses and rare wildlife.

Our Tourism team at South Somerset District Council manage two Visitor Information Centres, supports a network of Local Information Centres and offers help and support to the numerous tourism business that flourish in this special area. From small local cafes to internationally famous museums, quirky shepherd hut accommodation to top end boutique hotels and nationally famous cider makers.

So whatever you are looking for in a holiday destination, or a place to launch a new visitor business, then we think South Somerset will have what you are looking for.

Thatchers

We’re family cider makers with our home at Myrtle Farm in Somerset. We care about our ciders, and we care about tomorrow. We’ve a vision to create sustainable, great tasting cider for generations to come, enjoyed, loved and respected the world over.

From the individual variety of apples we use, to the knowledge that we’ve gained over four generations to make beautiful ciders that are bursting with flavour, we take great care to stay true to our roots. Only the best will do, so you know that with each glass of Thatchers the quality is the same, every time. We craft a range of draught and packaged ciders, including our smooth and golden Thatchers Gold with juicy apple flavours,  our naturally hazy Thatchers Haze that brims with fruitiness, and sweet and vibrant Thatchers Rosé made from rosy-red eating apples.  New to our family are zesty Cloudy Lemon, crisp and sweet with a zing from the juice of real lemons, and our alcohol-free Thatchers Zero.

Wicked Wolf Exmoor Gin

Award-winning Wicked Wolf®  Exmoor Gin™ is a premium craft gin made from 11 botanicals, distilled and blended on the banks of the picturesque River Lyn, North Devon. Wicked Wolf Exmoor Gin uses the combination of 11 exotic botanicals producing complex layers of citrus and pepper notes finely balanced with the distinct flavours of juniper and coriander. Hibiscus, lemongrass, cardamom and kaffir lime leaves have been artfully blended with these traditional aromatics creating a full-flavoured, smooth gin. 

The gin is filtered at each stage of the production process, producing a 42% ABV, smooth, full-bodied and elegant spirit.

Miles Tea & Coffee

An independent, family-run business, based in West Country England, D.J. Miles produce fine teas and hand-roast fresh coffee everyday in their Minehead and Porlock factories.

The product range is vast and includes a large selection of speciality loose leaf teas, their award-winning West Country Original blend, traditional teabags and premium Tea Kites, Heavenly Hot Chocolate, freshly roasted coffee beans and ground coffee. 

Trading since 1888, the Miles team are pretty passionate about tea, coffee and hot chocolate and if anyone knows how to make a good brew, it’s them. So pop the kettle on, put your feet up and enjoy a moment with Miles.

Hullaballoos

We believe that simple pleasures are important. We keep things simple with our traditional methods and natural recipes. Each bottle is made by hand in the South West, using real ingredients with No Baddies and No Bubbles needed. 

Hullabaloos Drinks will leave a tingle on your tongue and make your taste buds come alive. Each and every drink is packed full of real fruit juice and come in a variety of Award Winning, tongue tingling flavours. They taste great on their own or can be used as a mixer to take cocktails to the next level.

Lovetovisit.com

Bringing people closer to experiences

South West Coast Path Association

For almost half a century, the South West Coast Path Association has been helping to protect, care for and champion the South West Coast Path as one of the world’s greatest trails and one of the region’s most important environmental and tourism assets.   The Path now attracts over 9 million visitors a year and brings over £520 million into the local tourism economy.

As a charity, our mission is to help people access, enjoy and share in the amazing health-giving benefits and spectacular wildlife which our 630 mile National Trail offers.  We work with businesses along the Path (Way Makers), volunteers and members to raise funds to improve and care for the Trail – a task which is becoming increasingly important in light of current climate change.

For more information visit southwestcoastpath.org.uk  or email waymaker@southwestcoastpath.org.uk

Visit Bristol

Destination Bristol is the destination management partnership for Bristol & South Gloucestershire, a joint venture between Bristol City Council and Business West. The organisation works with over 600 major businesses and strategic partners with the aim of increasing business competitiveness within the city, supporting employment and growth within the visitor economy, and raising the profile of the Bristol city region as a world-class place.

Bristol Airport

The West Country is blessed with fantastic tourist attractions, from beautiful natural landscape to culture, history and entertainment. Bristol Airport provides a convenient gateway for visitors, and the good news is that those flying directly into the region are likely to stay longer and spend more, benefiting the local economy. Creating a positive first impression for visitors is at the heart of our brand and a key consideration in the designs of current terminal developments. The West’s world-class tourism offer is also a key factor in attracting new routes and airlines to Bristol Airport. For all these reasons, we are delighted to sponsor these awards and wish all entrants the best of luck.