THE South West’s 20 ‘protected landscapes’ — including Dartmoor National Park and the Cornwall and West Devon?Mining Landscape World Heritage Site — have been recognised by being awarded the outstanding contribution to tourism accolade at the South West Tourism Excellence Awards.

More than 450 people from the tourism sector in the South West attended the gala evening, held at the Riviera International Centre in Torquay. Victoria Graham of BBC Spotlight hosted the event.

The South West’s protected landscapes consists of 13 areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONBs), two national parks, the South West Coast Path, the Jurassic Coast, the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site (which includes Tavistock) and the UNESCO Global Geopark and biosphere reserve.

None of these charge an entry fee, yet they remain one of the primary reasons why visitors choose the region as a destination, contributing significantly to the visitor economy.

The award recognises the ever-present volunteers and key staff that manage the assets of some of the region’s most beautiful countryside under the constant pressures of having to retain funding in order to give visitors the best possible experience.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has reported that parts of the country’s natural capital, including protected landscapes such as those in the South West, contributed £16-billion to the economy in 2015, with an estimated contribution of £761-billion forecast over the next 100 years.

Bill Hitchins, chairman of Dartmoor National Park Authority, said: ‘Dartmoor has 2.4-million visitors a year, generating over £120-million for the local economy and I am delighted that the work we put into looking after the special qualities of Dartmoor for all to enjoy is recognised.

‘We would not be able to achieve this without the hard work of all our staff and our partners, particularly the farming community, commoners and landowners.’