Silver award for Devon’s best visitor attraction

The Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway has been awarded SILVER in Devon’s 2020 Visitor Attraction of the Year category with the Devon Tourism Awards, the Cliff Railway was also Highly Commended in the Tourism Innovation category. The announcement was made during the online Devon Tourism Awards Ceremony on the 11^th March 2021.

The Cliff Railway, which has been a part of the communities of Lynton & Lynmouth since 1888, celebrated its success alongside The Exmoor National Park Centre, Lynmouth, which was awarded GOLD for Devon’s best Visitor Information Service. Highcliffe House, Lynton, was awarded GOLD for Devon’s best Bed and Breakfast Accommodation, and the Old Rectory Hotel, Exmoor was awarded BRONZE in Devon’s best Small Hotel category. Following the announcement, the four winners received huge support across social media from the local communities of Lynton & Lynmouth and will now automatically qualify for the relevant categories in the regional South West Tourism Excellence Awards which will be announced on 22^nd April 2021.

The annual competition, now in its 11^th year, saw over 124 entries across Devon tourism business with awards presented in 24 categories including the surprise ‘Outstanding Contribution to Tourism’ award which went to Rhys Roberts following his long-established career in promoting tourism in the region and his position as Chair with VisitDevon. Five unsung hero awards were also announced including a posthumous award presented to the family and colleagues of Ian Stuart, of Stuart Line Cruises, Exmouth.

Ashley Clarke, General Manager and Chief Engineer of the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway said: ‘’It has been a particularly tough year, not just for us but for all of the tourism sector. A SILVER award for Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway in Devon’s BEST Visitor Attraction category is fantastic, we’re so grateful, and so proud of the whole team who have enabled us to achieve this in very difficult circumstances. It’s fantastic to be, again, part of the Visit Devon Tourism Awards and the number of entries and the high profile of the ceremony demonstrated just how resilient tourism in Devon remains.’

The Devon Tourism Awards certainly offered positive support for those tourism businesses who faced such an unprecedented and challenging year. Sally Everton of Visit Devon said ‘It is a huge boost to the tourism industry to have something as prestigious as these awards to celebrate’, this was echoed by the Awards organizer Robin Barker of Services for Tourism who added: “After an extraordinary year It’s so good to spread good news.’