THE ANNUAL celebration of the region’s tourism businesses at this month’s South West Tourism Awards also saw the spotlight fall on one of the industry’s most tireless champions.
In front of almost 400 tor of West Dorset Leisure Holidays Martin Cox was singled out for a very special individual distinction.
He was presented at the glittering Exeter Cathedral ceremony with this year’s award for Outstanding Contribution to Tourism by the chair of the SW Tourism Alliance, Alistair Handyside
The honour came on top-rated Dorset parks.
Paying tribute tourism industries regionally, nationally and internationally.
Martin’s overarching aim, he commented, has been tor experience.
His contributions in these areas, said Alistair, was in evidence across the wide range of bodies and organisations in which Martin plays an active and highly valued role.
He serves on a range of to help raise the county’s profile.
At an international level, he is a former president and now the British representative to EFCO&HPA, the European federation which represents more than 20,000 holiday park businesses.
Martin is also vice president of the British Holiday & Home Parks Association with over 3,000 parks across the UK in membership, and previously served for two years as its national chairman.
As well as helping tor.
He has been a longstanding proponent of skills training within the parks industry, and among the many new courses he helped establish was foundation degree in tourism park management which is now celebrating the end of its first successful decade.
From early in his career, Martin has held a firm belief in the value of IT to stay ahead of the game with his encouragement and ideas.
Martin’s forward-thinking has tourism.
At the South West Tourism Awards there was praise to support the trust’s appeal.
Speaking afterwards, Martin said he was humbled by the award, and that he felt honoured to live and work.