Bridport and West Dorset events and businesses are amongst the best in the South West after gaining gold accolades at this year's South West Tourism Awards.

Jurassic coast Guides and White Star Running both received gold awards after coming out on top at the Dorset Tourism Awards and being named finalists for the South West awards.

Jurassic Coast Guides was awarded gold in the experience of the year category.

Martin of Jurassic Coast Guides said: "It's taken me three years to get through to the next tourism awards stage and to win gold straight away is absolutely amazing.

"It's great to be recognised for my hard work promoting the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. It's fantastic to have reached such a level within the tourism industry.

"The coming season is looking very promising with regular bookings coming in and I look forward to continuing my work in the South West of England, as an 'award winning' professional guide.

"I'd like to thank all my customers and the businesses that have supported me over the past few years."

To find out more about Jurassic Coast Guides, visit jurassiccoastguides.co.uk

White Star Running won gold in tourism event/festival of the year for the 2019 Run Jurassic event it organised.

Andy Palmer of White Star Running said: "After winning gold at the Dorset Tourism Awards, we were really proud to make it to the finals of the regional South West Tourism Awards, recognising Run Jurassic 2019 and the hard work that went into it.

"We were overjoyed to find out that we had won gold again.

"We extend our continued thanks to the Jurassic Coast Trust for choosing to work with us on this event and to make it the official Jurassic Coast Running Festival, and to all our local partners who helped us bring the event together. We can't wait to see it return in September this year."

Run Jurassic will take place over the weekend of September 25 and 26. Find out more here.

To find out more about White Star Running and its upcoming events, visit whitestarrunning.co.uk

The awards were presented online on April 22, with every winner given the chance to react to their award during one of the three hour-long sessions. Emotions were running high, with winners 'over the moon' at having cause for celebration.

Other winners included Nothe Fort, which received gold in small visitor attraction of the year category, Sculpture by the Lakes, which was awarded silver in the small visitor of the year and tourism event/festival of the year categories, The Tank Museum, which was awarded silver in the large visitor attraction of the year category. Dorset Forest Garden Glamping was commended in the glamping business of the year category.

Robin Barker, director of services for Tourism Ltd, who manage the awards, said: "I feel honoured to have been involved in the awards over the past year and the last decade.

"Of all the years, this has been the one that has generated the most challenges as well as the most emotions, and we are so gratified to have played our part in giving our outstanding businesses something to celebrate.

"They are all so deserving. We can't wait to get out and visit as many of them as possible."

Co-organiser Nell Barrington added: "I have been really humbled to hear stories from these amazing tourism and hospitality businesses about how they have overcome adversity in these terrible times.

"It has been great to be able to celebrate their success and I hope they have a fantastic season. Congratulations to them all."

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