Two Gold Awards were picked up by the members of the NewcastleGateshead Initiative at the recent North East England Tourism Awards 2007.
 
The NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau won the Business Tourism of the Year Gold Award while the event destination’s marketing team won Tourism Website of the Year, after facing stiff competition from tourism providers from across North East England. The win has earned the Convention Bureau a chance to compete in the National Tourism Awards, which will be held later this year.
 
“It is fantastic to be rewarded for our contribution to the tourism industry,” said Jessica Roberts, head of business tourism at the NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau. “We’re lucky to have such an array of professional staff, excellent venues and stunning locations in NewcastleGateshead to provide a thriving business tourism market. The support of all of our convention bureau members, which includes some of the largest and smallest venues both in the city centre and rural locations, has been paramount to our success, and it is their continued efforts which have helped to position NewcastleGateshead as one of the UK’s leading business tourism destinations”.
 
Meanwhile Andrew Dixon, chief executive at the NewcastleGateshead Initiative, commented: “The fact that NewcastleGateshead has been recognised in these awards is significant in itself, but the real prize is to have the opportunity to go forward and represent the region in the National Tourism Awards. This provides an excellent platform to further enhance our profile within the UK conference market.”
 
Business Tourism is becoming an increasingly important market for North East England. According to the UKTS (United Kingdom Tourism Survey) 2005, business tourism in the region represents 23% of all domestic trips (1.07 million) and 32% of domestic tourism spending (£279 million).