Kynren – The Storied Lands in Bishop Auckland has been named the UK's Best Tourism Project by the British Guild of Travel Writers, winning the award less than four months after its opening. The accolade was presented at the International Tourism Awards in London on Monday.
Award-winning debut season
The attraction beat two other finalists, Gorta – Swatragh's Famine Story in Northern Ireland and London's Museum of Homelessness, to secure the award, which is decided by professional travel writers. Marketing Director Nikki Smith and Chief Technical Officer Graham Emerson collected the award at a gala dinner held at The Underglobe at Shakespeare's Globe.
The Storied Lands was nominated by award-winning travel broadcaster and Guild member Petra Shepherd, following a visit to Bishop Auckland during the attraction's inaugural season. The Guild's International Tourism Awards recognise projects experienced and personally nominated by travel writers, with the final winners selected through a vote of the membership.
Recognition from industry professionals
Anna Warnecke, Chief Executive of Kynren, said: "To be named the UK's Best Tourism Project in our very first season is an extraordinary achievement and a tremendous endorsement of what we've created here in Bishop Auckland. What makes this particularly special is that the recognition comes from professional travel writers who have experienced The Storied Lands for themselves and understand what makes it different."
She added: "We set out to create something genuinely new for UK tourism, combining spectacular live performance with history and storytelling in a way that hasn't been attempted before. This award is a tribute to the extraordinary commitment of everyone involved, from our staff and volunteers to the creative and technical teams who helped bring The Storied Lands to life."
A boost for the North East
Warnecke said the award is "also another important moment for Bishop Auckland and the wider North East, helping to establish the area as a destination for visitors from across the UK and beyond." Opened alongside Kynren's multi-award-winning night show, The Storied Lands has introduced a new daytime visitor experience, combining live performance, history and immersive storytelling.
Visitors explore five live action experiences, ranging from spectacular free-flying bird displays in The Lost Feather and equestrian performances in The Trusty Steed to the lakeside adventure Legend of the Wear, the fiery Land of the Vikings and the Victorian Imaginariums.
