Tourism and hospitality businesses from across the South of Scotland celebrated award success at the South of Scotland’s second annual Thistle Awards ceremony.The sell-out event took place at the Peebles Hydro and featured 12 categories and 30finalists from a pool of over 100 entries from across the Scottish Borders and Dumfries andGalloway.
The South of Scotland Thistle Awards event is delivered by the South of Scotland Destination Alliance and supported by South of Scotland Enterprise and VisitScotland, with returning headline sponsor Caledonia Park Designer Outlet.
This year saw the introduction of a brand-new award category, the Rising Star Award, which aims to recognise the emerging talent shaping the future of tourism and hospitality in the region. And the winner was Thania Meneses Flores from Trimontium Museum, who has spent recent years developing the offering at the museum to be more interactive, with the result that it now attracts thousands of people of all ages. Trimontium also collected the Inclusive Tourism Award.
Thania said: “What an absolute honour to win this award. I was delighted to have been shortlisted for the Rising Star category in the South of Scotland Thistle Awards, and it’s a privilege to be a winner.
“Trimontium is an amazing place to work and thrive, and this would not be possible with out the support of trustees, staff and volunteers who have all believed in me since the beginning, who took a chance on me and gave me the opportunity to join their team at the very start of my museum and tourism career.
“I look forward to keeping contributing to our thriving community and sharing the fascinating story of the Roman Iron Age in Scotland.”
”I look forward to keeping contributing to our thriving community and sharing the fascinating story of the Roman Iron Age in Scotland.
Thania Meneses FloresRising Star Award Winner
David Hope-Jones, Chief Executive of the South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA)said: “Following the resounding success of last year’s inaugural South of Scotland ThistleAwards, which saw our thirteen finalists go on to compete at the national awards, this year’s regional Thistle Awards has demonstrated that there is no limit to the quality and excellence of tourism talent in the region.
“The South of Scotland Thistle Awards is a celebration of the stars of the tourism and hospitality industry in the region and I’d like to extend a huge congratulations not only to this year’s winners, but to all of our fantastic finalists, as well as thanks to our brilliant sponsors.Tourism is a vital part of our local economy and the businesses and individuals who participated in this year’s regional Thistle Awards encapsulate exactly what makes the South of Scotland such an unforgettable place to visit. To our winners: good luck at the finals!”
All the category winners will now go on to represent the South of Scotland at the national Scottish Thistle Awards finals in November. They were:
