The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival crowned Tourism Event of the Year!

The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival was on Monday 15th November announced as the Gold Winner of the Tourism Event of the Year Award at the South West Tourism Excellence Awards.

In a glittering ceremony at the Riviera International Conference Centre, Torquay, the Literature Festival faced stiff competition from Bournemouth Air Festival, Cornwall Food & Drink Festival and the Bath Christmas Market to scoop this prestigious award.

The Excellence Awards celebrate ‘the best of the South West’ and aim to promote and reward the very best in the tourism industry. The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival 2010 attracted record breaking audiences, selling a staggering 120,000 tickets to the ten day Festival. Featuring some of the country’s greatest writers, speakers, comedians and politicians, the Festival has firmly established itself as an outstanding tourism event.

Chief Executive of Cheltenham Festivals Donna Renney is thrilled with the success:
"We are overjoyed to receive this award, which celebrates the outstanding regional impact of the Literature Festival.
It is very important that the contribution which cultural organisations make towards tourism is acknowledged - and we are thrilled that South West Tourism have chosen us as the winner of this fantastic award.

We can't wait to bring more award winning events to the South West in 2011."

As the regional Gold winner, the Literature Festival will be put forward for VisitEngland's National Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2011. Please find below the full South West Tourism Press Release for further details of the Awards, winners and quotes from the organisers.

Explore Gloucestershire
19 November 2010

• Also see : Cheltenham Festivals

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