Lancaster’s Highest Point festival wins big at county tourism awards

Highest Point came out on top ahead of other finalists the British Textile Biennial in East Lancashire, Christmas by the Sea in Blackpool and Santa Specials at the East Lancashire Railway.

The 2022 festival drew 35,000 people to the park in Lancaster.

It featured dozens of international music stars headlined by Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft, Clean Bandit and Kaiser Chiefs.

The 2023 Highest Point event will run from May 11-13.

Several other local organisations, venues and people were nominated for awards including Lancaster Grand Theatre, The Royal at Heysham, Dino Fest Lancaster, Lancaster Brewery Spirits Company and Morecambe Bay Chowder.

The awards were held at the new Blackpool Conference and Exhibition Centre and hosted by comedian Steve Royle.

Andrea Challis proudly addressed the audience, for the first time as Chair of the Board of Marketing Lancashire and said: “I am delighted to be here to celebrate with you all and to help the Marketing Lancashire team champion the very best of the county’s tourism and hospitality businesses. I am honestly in awe of the strength and diversity of our wonderful sector here in Lancashire.

“I have learnt through my involvement with Marketing Lancashire, and the other organisations and initiatives that I am a part of, that we have our own businesses, our own challenges and our own opportunities for growth but when we work together, we can, and we do, achieve so much more.”

Rachel McQueen, Chief Executive of Marketing Lancashire followed Andrea’s speech with her review of the last year, a year that saw Lancashire ‘fighting back’ from the impact of Covid on the tourism and hospitality sector saying: “Success in 2022 was hard fought, hard won, against, quite literally, all the odds. But successes there were, and significant ones too.”

On the finalists this year she said: “What came through loud and clear from the judges and our mystery shoppers was the tremendous hard work, determination, entrepreneurship and vision demonstrated by our tourism businesses.

“There is absolutely no shortage of pride, passion and ambition in this room, and myself and the Marketing Lancashire team look forward to working with you to support the county’s tourism and hospitality sector to thrive.”