TOURISM businesses from across the county have been shortlisted for this year's prestigious Cumbria Tourism Awards. 

Over the last month, the judges have been meeting to go through the entries to draw up a shortlist of finalists across the 17 categories. 

Categories include self-catering holiday property, self-catering holiday provider, holiday park, guest accommodation, B&B, the Taste Cumbria award, sustainable tourism, tourism event of the year, large hotel, small hotel, large visitor attraction of the year, visitor attraction of the year, tourism experience of the year, new tourism business award, wedding venue of the year, tourism pub of the year and the Sheila Hensman Award for Outstanding Contribution to Excellence.

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The awards ceremony will be held on June 21 at Cartmel Racecourse for a second year and catered by Campbell and Rowley’s.

Full list of finalists:

Self-Catering Holiday Provider of the Year: 
The Nests at The Swan in Newby Bridge
Pullwood Bay
The Halston in Carlisle

Self-Catering Holiday Property of the Year:
Gate House near Coniston
Waitby School near Kirkby Stephen
Hart Barn in Hartsop

Holiday Park of the Year:
Waterfoot Park in Pooley Bridge
The Quiet Site near Ullswater
Skelwith Fold Caravan Park
Holgates Silverdale Holiday Park in Silverdale

Guest Accommodation of the Year:
Hazel Bank Country House near Borrowdale
Broadoaks Country House in Troutbeck
The Grange Country House Bed and Breakfast in Keswick

B&B of the Year:
Hill Crest Country Guest House in Backbarrow
The Malabar in Marthwaite
Lanercost Bed and Breakfast

Taste Cumbria Award:
Askham Hall
Merewood Country House Hotel
The Lingholm Kitchen and Walled Garden, Portinscale on Derwentwater
The Bistro, Lakes Distillery near Bassenthwaite Lake

Sustainable Tourism Award:
Newlands Adventure Centre in Stair
The Quiet Site near Ullswater
Ullswater Steamers
Skelwith Fold Caravan Park
 
Tourism Event of the Year:
The Winter Droving (Eden Arts)
Go Herdwick Public Art Trail (The Lake District Calvert Trust)
Where is Peter Rabbit Production (World of Beatrix Potter Attraction)
Beatrix Potter 150th Anniversary Programme (The National Trust)

Large Hotel of the Year:
The Daffodil Hotel & Spa in Grasmere
The Trout Hotel in Cockermouth 
Castle Green Hotel in Kendal
The Swan at Newby Bridge

Small Hotel of the Year:
Appleby Manor Hotel & Garden Spa
Cragwood Country House Hotel in Ecclerigg
The Ryebeck in Bowness-on-Windermere

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year:
World of Beatrix Potter Attraction
Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery
Walby Farm Park
Holker Hall & Gardens

Visitor Attraction of the Year:
Wordsworth House & Garden in Cockermouth 
The Beacon Museum in Whitehaven 
Mirehouse & Gardens near Keswick

Tourism Experience of the Year:
Cyclewise Whinlatter
Go Ape Whinlatter
Bay Cycle Way

New Tourism Business Award:
Cliffhanger Rooms in Backbarrow 
CBA Events @ Graythwaite
Chocolate World

Wedding Venue of the Year:
The Villa Hotel in Levens
The Daffodil Hotel & Spa
The Wild Boar near Windermere
The Coppermines Mountain Wedding Venue in Coniston

Tourism Pub of the Year:
The Mason's Arms, Strawberry Bank near Cartmel Fell
Kirkstile Inn (Loweswater)
The Flying Pig in Bowness-on-Windermere
Three Shires Inn in Little Langdale

The Sheila Hensman Award for Outstanding Contribution to Excellence: 
Mel Ibbotson, The Leathes Head Hotel
Paula Richardson & Frank McGurk, Sharrow Bay Country House Hotel
Brimstone Hotel Host Team