Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival has beaten off strong competition and has been announced as one of the winners in the Tourism Event of the Year category of the 2015/16 South West Tourism Excellence Awards.
This is the first time Bridgwater Carnival has entered the prestigious awards, which attracted 490 entries from the Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Bath, Bristol and Gloucestershire areas into the 19 categories, and by being selected as one of the winners will join five other finalists in their category for a special awards ceremony at Exeter Cathedral on Thursday 4 February 2016, where Gold, Silver or Bronze awards are announced and presented.
Rita Jones, president of Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival, was delighted with the news and said: “This tops a remarkable year for Bridgwater Carnival and is just six weeks after one of the most successful and busiest carnivals we have ever seen in Bridgwater. I would like to say a big thank you to the carnival committee, the entrants and to the spectators for making this award possible, and it’s great seeing Bridgwater Carnival going from strength to strength.”
Cllr Duncan McGinty, Leader of Sedgemoor District Council said: “The District Council is proud to actively support the carnival which is probably Britain’s best kept secret but which acts as a magnet to an audience in excess of 100,000, so we are delighted it is being recognised like this at last. It is a unique experience for all ages, from the ingenuity of the individual cart themes to the innovative engineering mechanisms. The Bridgwater Carnival is an event that involves the enthusiasm and cooperation of many groups both private and public in its success.”
Robin Barker, Director of Services for Tourism Ltd, who manage the Awards, commented: “In announcing the finalists we are celebrating the excellence of the south west tourism offering – 93 entries selected from 490 entrants, who are pushing new boundaries in what this region has to offer. They are the role models in tourism, constantly reinventing their offering and making sure this region stays at the fore in what is one of the biggest and fast growing industries in the world.”
Bridgwater Carnival will also go onto represent the South West in the Tourism Event of the Year category of the national VisitEngland awards later in 2016.
