By Andrew Clarke

Published at 11:08, Thursday, 19 April 2012

COPELAND businesses have been named among the finalists in the prestigious Cumbria Tourism Awards.

Judges have whittled down a large number of entries to select three finalists in each category, including The Beacon, Whitehaven (Sustainable Tourism Award), The Woolpack Inn, Eskdale (Taste Cumbria Award) and The Haunted Muncaster Experience, Muncaster Castle (Tourism Experience Award).

The awards will be presented at Rheged, near Penrith, on May 24.

Ian Stephens, managing director at Cumbria Tourism, said: “The judges had a tough decision to whittle down the high volume of excellent entries to the shortlisted few.

“These awards highlight the best that Cumbria has to offer when it comes to providing millions of visitors with a holiday or short break to remember.”

The finalists include:

Sustainable Tourism Award: The Beacon, Whitehaven; The Quiet Site, Ullswater; Newlands Adventure Centre, Keswick

Taste Cumbria Award: The Punch Bowl Inn & Restaurant, Crosthwaite; Overwater Hall, Nr Ireby; Woolpack Inn, Eskdale; Drunken Duck Inn, Nr Ambleside

Tourism Experience Award: Theatre by the Lake, Keswick; Lakeland Photographic Holidays, Keswick; The Haunted Muncaster Experience, Muncaster Castle

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk