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the prescriptive standards of other schemes, recognising your quality and its appeal to customers, without insisting on outdated physical measures irrelevant to your customers.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

Pear has existed for a number of years and from our humble beginnings, we slowly became the largest print distribution agency in the UK. We connected 1000’s of brands to new audiences,  help them reach the local market both during and post-covid, and engaged their visitors on multiple levels.

Pear expanded into several partner companies - giving multiple branches for our clients’ marketing needs.
Now, all of the brands you knew and loved are coming under one Pear-tree to make Pear Marketing. A full-service, multi-disciplinary marketing powerhouse that offers a full range of in-house offline and online marketing services.

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.

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.

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.

NFU Mutual

It’s our mutuality which sets us apart. We’re owned by and run for you, over 900,000 members, and we work hard to protect your interests. From our 300 local agent offices offering personal service to our tailored quotes you can’t get on price comparison sites, your needs are at the heart of everything we do.

Gaining accolades is one way of being recognised for the high standards of customer service and cover which we provide. We take pride in the fact that many of our general insurance products have received recognition from third parties, demonstrating our commitment to providing a comprehensive level of cover.

But we’re not standing still. Supporting our communities is very important to us. We’re committed to helping protect the environment, championing rural communities through events and initiatives, and continuing to offer the best care possible.

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.

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 delighted to support this year's Bristol, Bath & Somerset Tourism Awards.  Located in the South West, Sunflower Social Media supports a wide range of businesses, helping them to maximise the return from their social media.  

Making time for social media can be hard.  Only you can run your business the way you know how and so we create and implement social media strategies for you, sourcing content and dealing with all your engagement and community growth, leaving you to do what you do the best. 

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.  

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 cidermakers 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.

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.

Lovetovisit.com

Lovetovisit.com is the revolutionary new way for people to discover and book things to do. Using the latest cutting-edge technology and industry insight, the platform promotes attractions, theatres, events, tours, destinations, and experiences to millions of monthly users.

Brimming with curated content, the user journey on Lovetovisit.com is simple: inspire, book, experience. Written by a team of in-house journalists, this content is engaging and inclusive – in turn, driving visitor numbers and ticket sales across the UK.

Operating a results-based model for partners and an on-booking experience for consumers, Lovetovisit.com ensures that everyone wins.

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 West

Visit West is the Destination Management Organisation for the West of England, representing the four unitary authorities, Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, businesses within these areas and members beyond working to maximise the potential of the visitor economy in the region.

Building on the work of Destination Bristol and Visit Bath, it brings together the business communities, local authorities, and wider stakeholders, and the domestic and international travel industry to create a strategically focused and innovative delivery organisation with a clear purpose. 

Pure Comms

Based just outside Bristol, PureComms is an award-winning telecoms provider supplying reliable and efficient telecommunications services to SMEs and corporate clients across the UK. We offer tailored communication solutions and equipment to suit any size business within any sector to ensure we meet our customer’s unique requirements.

Our success has been built on trust and close working relationships, thanks to our unparalleled speed of responsiveness for our clients, who depend on robust and reliable connectivity systems.

Somerset Life

Somerset Life is the county magazine that celebrates the finest things about our wonderful county. 

Every month as you turn the pages of your magazine, you will discover a whole world of the greatest food and drink, places and people that this area has to offer.  Uncover hidden gems, learn about the best places to visit and the events you can look forward to.

Somerset is your county and Somerset Life is your magazine. 

PayDough.me

A warm welcome from PayDough.me, proud to be sponsoring these outstanding awards this year. 

Whatever you concept is around “Card Payments” think again. Think of me as your Outsourced Card Payment Specialist, someone who is on your side, together we do payments. I can help you navigate the payments industry, avoiding some of the pitfalls you may have experienced. I can help make sense of what’s possible, throw in a few new ideas and take the hassle out of securing a good deal.

I work collaboratively with you and an extensive range of payment providers and partners to ensure the package I mould is always the optimum fit. I have options for businesses small, large and everything in between.

Once you are up and running the service doesn’t stop there either, I will manage and monitor what was agreed. 

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.