Web wizard Daniel wins top tourism award
Kendal man Daniel Westbury has received a top tourism honour for his successful efforts to promote South Cumbria and the holiday park for which he works.
Daniel, who is a marketing executive at Skelwith Fold Caravan Park in Ambleside, was among just a handful of people in the UK chosen this year to receive the park industry's Exceptional Service Award.
The accolade, presented to him this week by park owner Henry Wild, recognises his outstanding use of social media websites, such as Facebook, to woo visitors to the Lake District.
Daniel's many initiatives over the past year have included the creation of a mascot, Sammy the Squirrel, to highlight the wildlife and natural beauty of Skelwith Fold and South Lakeland.
Sammy's own page on Facebook is winning a UK-wide following, and is regularly updated to show the fluffy red squirrel in a variety of different landscapes and often humorous situations.
With Daniel's help, Sammy offers observations on everything from the weather to conservation matters, and even answer's holiday queries from his followers.
Daniel, who is a keen amateur photographer, has also created a keenly-followed internet presence for the park on other social media websites such as Twitter.
The Exceptional Service Awards are regarded as the Oscars of Britain's 3000-strong holiday parks industry, and are handed down by the British Holiday and Home Parks Association.
Nominees for awards must show evidence of special accomplishments in their work which set them apart from the 50,000-plus people employed on UK holiday parks.
Skelwith Fold director Henry Wild said that Daniel's award was a thoroughly deserved tribute to his skill at harnessing new communication technology to promote park tourism:
"It takes real flair and imagination to build a strong presence on the web, and Daniel has done just that for us with his invention of Sammy and other attention-grabbing ideas," said Henry.
The parks association said that Daniel had provided a real-life example of how tourism businesses could effectively promote themselves without the need for huge marketing budgets.
Skelwith Fold was named as the Holiday Park of the Year in 2010 by Cumbria Tourism, and has won a number of top green awards for its care of the natural environment.
The park has also been praised in recent times by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales for its successful bid to re-introduce colonies of red squirrels in the grounds.
Daniel, who is a resident of Kendal, has worked at Skelwith Fold Caravan Park for seven years.
ends