Yorkshire tourism campaign is voted the best in Europe

Welcome to Yorkshire last night won Europe's leading marketing campaign prize at the World Travel Awards Europe Gala Ceremony in Turkey.

The organisation's international sales director, Peter Dodd, collected the honour at the event in Antalya.

"This is an absolutely phenomenal feat for us," he said. "We have beaten off some tough competition from seven other tourism bodies across Europe but we have worked hard to plant Yorkshire firmly in the public eye and on the tourist map and this award reflects that.

"Since we launched Welcome to Yorkshire 18 months ago, our team and our partners have pulled out all the stops to spread the word that our county really is the best in Britain and now we have proved this by beating the rest of Europe."

Last year's winner was Virgin Atlantic but this year Welcome to Yorkshire beat nominees Expedia, the Spanish Institute of Tourism, STA Travel, the Hans Brinker Budget Hotel Amsterdam, Thomas Cook, Visit London and Visit Denmark.

The award was for "A long weekend in Yorkshire isn't long enough" – Welcome to Yorkshire's first campaign after rebranding from the Yorkshire Tourist Board last year.

It included the new Yorkshire.com website, advertising in cinemas, print promotions, outdoor advertising at London's mainline train stations and the sponsoring of TV programmes.

It now hopes to win the World's Leading Tourist Board 2010 award next month in London but is up against 15 other competitors.

Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive Gary Verity said: "Yorkshire can be very proud already as we are the only body in England to be nominated for the World's Leading Tourist Board award.

"Welcome to Yorkshire has been independently voted the best marketing campaign in Europe and I know we are the best tourist agency for the best county in the world. We just need your help in reaching our goal."

You can vote for Welcome to Yorkshire as the World's Leading Tourist Board on the World Travel Awards website until October 8.