The elite of the Highlands and Islands tourism sector was honoured at the industry�s annual awards ceremony held in Inverness on Friday, 21st November.

350 representatives from the region�s top hospitality, leisure and travel businesses gathered for the 2008 Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards (HITA). The awards showcase and recognise the cream of the area�s tourism businesses, initiatives and individuals who strive to deliver business excellence and quality within the industry in the Highlands and Islands.

This year awards were presented in 10 categories ranging from Innovation to Community Tourism and Tourism People Development to Customer Care, and the judges handed out an additional special award for outstanding performance.

Among the winners was the Ice Factor at Kinlochleven, the UK�s premier adventure centre which offers some of the best indoor climbing facilities in the country. The centre won the award for Best Visitor Experience, impressing the judges with its year on year consistency, maintaining an astute focus on a range of key performance indicators and its passion for staff training and development.

The award for Investing in the Environment gave the judges a difficult decision as they recognised that the finalists were two very different examplars of businesses investing in the environment, and although it scored highly the Lovat Arms just lost out to the Shetland Amenity Trust which won due to the way its scheme engages a wide community and cross section of the local population.

And Broad Bay House on the Isle of Lewis also impressed the judges, winning the New Tourism Business Award due to its strong business model and dedication to quality at every turn, and creating a business which is a destination in its own right.

One of the highlights of the evening was the closely guarded announcement of the HITA Board award for Ambassador of the Year, which went to prominent Inverness businesswoman, Freda Newton, owner and Managing Director of Jacobite Cruises, for the significant contribution she has made to the industry, and for the unstinting commitment and loyalty she devotes not only to the business, but also to her staff, the industry and the wider Highlands and Islands business community.

Another individual recognised for her contribution to the Highlands and Islands tourism industry was Beata Kaczmaruzyk of the Kingsmills Hotel who won the Young Ambassador of the Year Award. Beata came to the Highlands from Poland with her brother three years ago. At that time she couldn�t speak any English and since starting her career as a cleaner, has impressed her bosses with her enthusiasm and dedication to her work to such an extent that she has been promoted to the role of Supervisor and continues to be an exemplary role model for other young people in the industry.

www.highland-tourism-awards.co.uk

-ENDS-

The full list of Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards winner is:

FREDA NEWTON, Jacobite Cruises, Inverness Ambassador of the Year: sponsored by Caledonian MacBrayne

THE ICE FACTOR, Kinlochleven Best Visitor Experience: sponsored by McLeod & McCallum

POOLEWE CEILILDH PARTNERSHIP, Poolewe Community Tourism Initiative: sponsored by The Highland Council

POTTERY HOUSE BED AND BREAKFAST, Dores Customer Care: Sponsored by VisitScotland

BOOTH SCOTLAND LTD, Inverness Innovation: sponsored by British Waterways

SHETLAND AMENITY TRUST, Lerwick, Shetland Investing in the Environment: sponsored by Scottish Natural Heritage

BROAD BAY HOUSE, Back, Isle of Lewis New Tourism Business: sponsored by Bord na Gaidhlig

BOSVILLE HOTEL AND CHANDLERY RESTAURANT, Portree, Isle of SKye Highland Dining Out Experience: sponsored by Scottish Provincial Press

CENTRE OF APPLIED TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT, Aviemore Tourism People Development: sponsored by UK Atomic Energy Authority

BEATA KACZMARUZYK, Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness Young Ambassador of the Year: sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland

ISLE OF SKYE YACHTS, Ardvasar, Isle of Skye HITA Special Business Award for Outstanding Contribution to Highland tourism

Further media information and photographs from Caroline Keith at theKeithconsultancy on 01463 811000 or caroline@thekeithconsultancy.co.uk