Three Dartmoor businesses recently scooped gold at the annual Visit Devon Tourism Awards, which celebrates the best tourist attractions in the county.

Dartmoor National Park’s Visitor Centres at Haytor, Postbridge and Princetown, rock climbing business Crag 2 Mountain and camping site Harford Bridge Park took home the gold in the ‘Visitor Information Service of the Year,’ ‘Experience of the Year,’ and ‘Best Camping and Caravanning Park of the Year’ categories respectively.

Baz and Georgia Thomas, owners of Crag 2 Mountain, said: ‘We are so delighted to have won the Visit Devon Tourism Award.

We were up against larger and more established businesses so never did we expect to win. We couldn’t have won this without all our amazing customers and families, so thank you to all of you. We look forward to the year ahead.’

Dartmoor National Park Authority’s visitor services manager, Rebecca Martin, also said that the service was ‘delighted’ and wished to thank the staff for all their hard work.

The award ceremony was held virtually on March 10 but the award organisers have arranged to hold a live ceremony in May.

This will be the third consecutive Visit Devon Tourism win for Harford Bridge Park which also achieved a ‘commended’ status at this year’s South West England Tourism Excellence Awards. Crag 2 Mountain will also be ‘commended’ at the regional award ceremony.

The regional award ceremony will be held in-person for the first time in two years at Exeter’s Sandy Park on April 7, 2022.

Sally Everton, director of Visit Devon, said: ‘The Devon Tourism Awards shower positivity on what has been the most challenging two years for so many tourism businesses across Devon.

‘With some definite light now at the end of what has been a very gloomy tunnel, the awards give a massive boost to the tourism industry who are able to celebrate something as special as these prestigious awards. We can’t wait to be able to get back and do this in person.’

Two Bridges Hotel in the heart of Dartmoor National Park, has also added to Dartmoor’s tourism success. The hotel won ‘Best Hotel in the South West’ in the annual Trencherman’s Awards, which recognises the best hotels, restaurants and gastropubs .

This is the third award for the Dartmoor hotel in recent months as it received double gold awards from Taste of the West last month and Best Restaurant from Food Drink Devon in October 2021..

Sarah Howard, hotel director at the Two Bridges Hotel and the Bedford Hotel, said: ‘It’s an incredible honour to have received so many prestigious awards, and a real credit to our committed and hard-working team and to our dedicated local suppliers, particularly given the challenges of the last couple of years.

‘We are all set for what is likely to be a busy year ahead, with Devon continuing to boom as a short break destination of choice, and we are looking forward to continuing to offer our returning guests, and those trying us for the first time, our famously warm welcome, exceptional hospitality and award-winning food.’

Two Bridges sister hotel, the Bedford Hotel in Tavistock has also added to the group’s award tally in recent months, with a Gold award from Food Drink Devon, and a Silver and a Gold award from Taste of the West.