THE National Memorial Arboretum has been named as the best large visitor attraction in a county contest.
The Alrewas centre for remembrance scooped the honour at the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Tourism Awards.
The arboretum also scooped silver in the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism category.
Elsewhere, there was success for Poms Lichfield which was named Tea Room or Coffee Shop of the Year, while Thyme Kitchen took silver in the Casual Dining section – tith the business’ Jonathan Fowler also taking a silver in the Unsung Hero category.
Charlotte Cain, Staffordshire Investment Agency manager at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“It’s fantastic to be able to celebrate our amazing tourism sector.
“We’re attraction central, the biggest and best playground in the country and I’m incredibly proud of our tourism offer and everyone working in the sector. I would like to say a huge congratulations to all our winners and those highly commended and a big thanks to the Doubletree by Hilton Stoke-on-Trent for hosting the event.
“Tourism continues to boom here in Staffordshire, generating an estimated £2.3billion for the local economy and employing thousands of people. This is due to the hard work and determination of our hospitality businesses to provide excellent and memorable visitor experiences.
“Once again a huge well done to the sector and good luck to our winners who now go forward to the national VisitEngland awards.”
Full details of all winners can be found on the Enjoy Staffordshire website.