“It’s a huge award, and a massive tribute to all involved” said a stunned Clive Allen, one of the three Kendal Mountain Festival directors alongside Steve Scott and Matt Burke.

“The judges recognised that ‘Kendal’ is the biggest and best event for outdoor enthusiasts in the UK, attracting well over 10,000 people each November, and bringing over £2m into the local economy. We’d like to thank our sponsors, many of whom have partnered with us for many years, and who recognise it’s a hugely effective way to reach a big, grass-roots audience. And of course the award is a brilliant thumbs-up to our organising team. With recent developments such as our link-up with Channel 4 television, and a new KMF On The Edge summer event in Langdale this July, it’s an exciting time for us.”

Commenting on the Award James Berresford, VisitEngland’s Chief Executive said “We received hundreds of applications of an exceptionally high quality making the competition for a Gold Award extremely tough.  It is therefore a tremendous achievement for Kendal Mountain Festival to win a Gold Award, the highest accolade for Excellence in Tourism.  They have raised the bar for excellence for others to aspire to and I warmly congratulate them on their exemplary contribution to tourism in this country".