Falmouth well represented at the Cornwall Tourism Awards

Three Falmouth businesses are celebrating their success after being recognised at the Cornwall Tourism Awards 2012. The National Maritime Museum, Fal River Visitor Information Centre and St Michael's Hotel all returned home with gold, silver and bronze respectively.

Falmouth's Maritime Museum won gold in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category ahead of Cotehele in Saltash which took silver and Tate St Ives which took bonze.

Museum Director Jonathan Griffin says: "Winning gold means so much to everyone who works here and everyone who has an involvement in the Museum. Our small team strives for excellence, doing more with very little, working ferociously hard to think outside the box, to deliver an exciting museum and attraction. To have this recognised with a gold, having faced some seriously fierce competition, is a wonderful reward.".

During the ceremony at Newquay's Headland Hotel, the Fal River Visitor Information Centre was named as the second best in Cornwall, beaten only by Bodmin.

St Michael's Hotel then took the bronze in the 'Large Hotel of the Year' category. Bedruthan Steps Hotel got the gold, while the Headland Hotel was given the silver.

Malcolm Bell, Head of VisitCornwall, the Cornwall Development tourism service, commented: "No stranger to award charts itself, Cornwall is a winning visitor destination so to be recognised in the Cornwall Tourism Awards and named among the best of the best is an incredible achievement. The level of passion and commitment to quality has been astounding, even more so in what has been a difficult year."