TOURISM businesses in York and North Yorkshire have bounced back after a calamitous year.

Local visitor-based attractions last night claimed the lion's share of the leading prizes at the Yorkshire Tourist Board's White Rose Awards for 2001.

The gathering was hailed as a much-needed boost to an industry struggling to recover from the blows inflicted on it by the foot and mouth crisis.

The Tourism Event of the Year was the acclaimed production of the York Millennium Mystery Plays, a unique event which took place in the city's Minster, while the York Festival of Food and Drink was also a finalist in that category.

For some it was a double celebration.

The National Railway Museum in York was the Conference Venue of the Year (Unusual Venue), as well as being the Visitor Attraction of the Year with 100,000 or more visitors - a category in which another rail-based attraction, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway at Pickering, was a finalist.

Continuing the transport theme, the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington was the top Visitor Attraction of the Year with under 100,000 visitors, and was also a finalist in the Marketing Campaign of the Year award.

Meanwhile, The White Swan at Pickering had plenty to celebrate, winning the Marketing Campaign of the Year award, and being a finalist in the Small Hotel of the Year (Under 60 Bedrooms) category.

Winner of the top prize in the latter category was The Grange Hotel in York, with the city's Dean Court Hotel also a finalist.

The winner of the Self-Catering Holiday of the Year was Beech Farm Cottages at Pickering, with Baille Hill House in York, Gales House Farm at Gillamoor and Easthill Farm House and Gardens at Thornton-le-Dale finalists in that category.

Rudding Park Hotel and Golf at Follifoot, Harrogate, won Conference Venue of the Year (Bespoke Venue).

Best Newcomer to Tourism was Shoreline Cottages at Whitby, with High Blakey House, Kirkbymoorside, and Whitby Musicport finalists.

A finalist in the Guest Accommodation of the Year category was Oldstead Grange at Coxwold.

Winner of the Caravan Holiday Park of the Year was Warren Forest Park at Ripley, Harrogate, with Maustin Caravan Park at Wetherby and Northcliffe Holiday Park at Whitby as finalists.

In the Outstanding Customer Service award the Cornmill Guest House in Kirkbymoorside and the Anchor Hotel in Scarborough were finalists. Scarborough Sea Life Centre was a finalist in the Marketing Campaign of the Year.

The awards were presented by the Yorkshire-born presenter of the BBC's Country File programme John Craven.

David Andrews, chief executive of the Yorkshire Tourist Board, said: "As the industry strives to recover from the foot and mouth crisis, it is important to recognise and reward excellence in tourism.

"The White Rose Awards encourage the Yorkshire tourism industry to drive up the quality of the tourism to ensure that the region can compete effectively in this global marketplace in the future."

Updated: 08:16 Friday, September 07, 2001