Bristol is home to a wealth of cracking attractions with plenty to interest people of all ages.
From the SS Great Britain to the Suspension Bridge and everything in between, it’s fair to say there’s plenty to keep us and visitors entertained all year round.
And a number of the city's most renowned have been recognised as some of the best in the entire South West at the biggest ever gathering of the region’s tourism businesses.
The South West Tourism Awards, which took place at Aerospace Bristol, celebrated the most impressive tourist attractions in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Bath and Somerset with 107 different awards handed out.
All entrants in the South West underwent a rigorous short-listing process with 472 being visited by a team of 51 mystery shoppers.
Five attractions in Bristol were awarded either Gold, Silver or Bronze awards.
SS Great Britain
GOLD for Tourism Innovation Award and BRONZE for Large Attraction
Considering it's one of the most important historic ships in the world, it's no wonder SS Great Britain scooped two awards on the night.
When she was launched in 1843, she was called 'the greatest experiment since the creation' as no-one had ever designed such a vast ship, nor had the vision to build it out of iron.
Visitors to SS Great Britain are invited to step ‘underwater’ for a unique and magnificent view of the ship below the beautiful glass sea; investigate the Riggers’ Yard and the Great Western Dockyard, test their skills with interactive displays and choose from a selection of fascinating audio companions.
With storytelling and games for children to in-depth historical research in Brunel’s Institute, there is something for everybody at Brunel’s SS Great Britain.
Aerospace Bristol
SILVER for Large Attraction
Opened at the end of 2017, the £19million Aerospace is home to the last ever Concorde to take flight, which is a staggering sight in itself.
But there's much more to it than just that, though, as the impressive centre also offers visitors the chance to embark on a journey through more than a century of remarkable aviation history, with plenty of fascinating installations and interactive features for the whole family to enjoy.
A strong emphasis has been placed on education at the museum and it includes a number of theatres which will hold sessions for children on trips, as well as realistic flight simulators which give people a taste of what it’s like to be in the Concorde cockpit.
Gold was won by The Roman Baths in Bath.
Where The Wall
SILVER for Guided Tour Of The Year (The Bristol Street Art Tour)
The Bristol Street Art Tour is one of the most consistent cultural walking experiences in the world.
With over six years experience and constant positive feedback on Trip Advisor, Where The Wall have developed one of the most talked about street art tours, running for 52 weeks of the year.
It runs every Saturday and Sunday at 11am with more dates during the week in holidays and half-terms, and gives people a chance to see all of Banksy's pieces of work, as well as other notable pieces of graffiti around the city.
Gold was won by Unique Devon Tours.
The New Room / John Wesley’s Chapel
BRONZE for Small Attraction
Known as ‘the cradle of Methodism,’ the Grade I listed New Room in Broadmead is the oldest Methodist building in the world, dating from 1739, and was the starting point for the Methodist Church which now has over 75 million members across the globe.
The visitor centre features a state-of-the-art museum, a brand new library and archives store, an award-winning café, a gift shop and an education/conference centre, and is open Monday to Saturday 10.30am - 4pm all year round.
The New Room, whose multi-million pound Heritage lottery-funded visitor centre opened in 2017, shared the bronze award with Stuart Line Cruises of Devon, both sailing in ahead of Berkeley Castle, Bodmin Jail and Telegraph Museum Porthcurno, who were all highly commended.
Gold was won by the Dorset Heavy Horse Farm Park, and silver by Boscombe Down Aviation Collection.
Bristol Hoppers
BRONZE for Guided Tour Of The Year
Bristol Hoppers is a range of sociable all-inclusive walking tours exploring Bristol and the city's ever-growing excellent craft beer scene.
On each tour, people enjoy a minimum of seven delicious local beers, all included in the price.
There are a number of different routes including Grains, Gradients and Graffiti; South Of The River and Breweries, Brunel and Brigstow, all of which include different breweries, bars and sights.
The group tours are very sociable and encourage people to come either alone, with a friend or a small group. Larger groups of up to 20 can get in touch for a private tour, which can even be customised.
More information can be found on South West Tourism Awards' website.
