Manchester Labour

Manchester City Council swept the boards at city's glittering tourism awards last night.

Thursday evening’s ceremony at the Hilton Hotel saw the city council collect honours for Heaton Park, Manchester Christmas Markets and Manchester Art Gallery. The city council-supported Manchester International Festival also collected two awards.

Heaton Park was voted the ‘People’s Choice’ by listeners of BBC Radio Manchester.

The award was a new category this year, asking station listeners to suggest their favourite attraction or activity that would make an enjoyable daytime experience for visitors to the city. Heaton Park came out on top.

Labour Councillor Mike Amesbury, Manchester City Council’s executive member for culture and leisure said: “Heaton Park has a very special place in the hearts of Manchester people and I’m delighted that it has won this award. In the past few years we have invested significantly in the park and it’s fantastic to see that people are enjoying the benefits of these improvements.”

The Christmas Markets were awarded Tourism Retailer of the Year due to their impact on bringing people into the city over the festive season. Manchester Art Gallery won both the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year and the Tourism Experience of the Year for the Angels of Anarchy exhibition.

Councillor Mike Amesbury added:”To be recognised by the industry in this way is a real achievement. We’re working hard to position the city as a leading visitor destination and I’m extremely proud of our achievements so far. There are many reasons to visit the city and I hope that these awards will encourage even more people to come to Manchester and enjoy everything it has to offer.”

Manchester International Festival was named Tourism Event of the Year due to its international significance and wide appeal, and also picked up the Sustainable Tourism Award for elements such as environmental awareness, community engagement and education and training.