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Last night (Tuesday 22 May) the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta received the Bronze award for Best Tourism Event of the Year at the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.
The award places the Fiesta in the top 3 tourism events in the country, alongside Larkin with Toads inHulland the Tall Ships Festival inHartlepool.
The Fiesta was shortlisted for the award after winning Gold for Tourism Event of the Year at the South West Tourism Awards earlier this year.
Now in its 34th year the Fiesta isBristol’s largest event and it is also recognised as one of the top five outdoor events in theUK, generating £13 million for the local economy.
Chris Hathaway, chairman of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta commented: “It’s a great achievement to have won Bronze at the awards last night and we’re delighted to be considered as one of the best tourism events in theUK.
“As a non-for profit event we could not succeed without the backing of our visitors, partners, 100 Club members and suppliers so we’d like to thank everyone for their continued support.
“This is exciting news for the Fiesta and forBristol. This recognition goes to show that the Fiesta is not only an iconic event for the city but increasingly for the rest of the country.”
John Hallett, Managing Director of Destination Bristol, said: “We are delighted and proud to have such a fantastic award-winning annual event inBristol. This is a huge achievement which not only recognises the quality of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta but also its importance in helping to boost the city’s local visitor economy.”
This year the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta takes place Thursday 9 – Sunday 12 August.
