Businesses in the whole of the Cairngorms National Park encouraged to enter Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards

For the first time, businesses in the whole of the Cairngorms National Park have the chance to win a Highlands and Islands Tourism Award.

It means businesses – no matter their size or how long they’ve been running – operating in Park areas of Highland, Moray, Aberdeenshire and Angus can enter.

From lively village pubs to luxurious four star accommodations, eateries championing our local produce and outstanding visitor attractions – there is a category suitable for every tourism business in the Park.

Businesses in the Park look after up to 1.5 million visitors every year with tourism-related business accounting for around £100m of the local economy. These awards are an opportunity to recognise how important businesses are to the Park.

Also for the first time, the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) is proud to be sponsoring the category for The Most Enterprising Business in the Great Outdoors.

This award will recognise a business which demonstrates a truly innovative approach to developing products and services based on what’s around them in the great outdoors.

CNPA Board Convener, David Green, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for businesses in the whole of the Cairngorms National Park to really shout about the fantastic service they offer visitors to the area. We’re delighted we can support the event by sponsoring one of the awards and hope to see some of our best places to visit, stay and eat shortlisted.”

Alan Rankin from the Cairngorms Business Partnership added: “We are delighted to hear that businesses from around the Cairngorms National Park can now enter the Highlands & Islands Tourism Awards. Several businesses from the area have been shortlisted and won awards in the past which has allowed them to highlight the commitment to excellence and dedication to the tourism industry many of the businesses here have. With the awards now covering the entire Cairngorms National Park competition will be more fierce than before, but we are sure the area will continue to shine and bring home many more well deserved accolades. We would urge businesses across the Cairngorms National Park to shrug off any modesty and go ahead and shout about what they do by entering the awards.”

The closing date for nominations is 6 September 2010 with the winners being announced at an awards dinner at the Drumossie Hotel, Inverness on 19 November 2010. For details of how to enter and all the categories, visit www.highland tourism-awards.co.uk.