Two Forest of Dean favourites have earned well-deserved recognition at the 2025 Bristol, Bath, Somerset and Gloucestershire Tourism Awards.

Forestry England pride themselves in working with high-quality partners. With a diverse range of recreation businesses operating in the nation's forests, the variety and quality of the businesses we work with help to make the nation's forests special places to visit.

Celebrating excellence across the South West’s hospitality and visitor economy, the Tourism Awards ceremony was held at the Apex City of Bath Hotel on 20 November. The evening was a vibrant celebration of the region’s exceptional tourism industry, showcasing the hard work, passion, and creativity that make the South West so special.

Bringing together entries from across the South West, 78 accolades were presented across 25 categories, with four awards being presented to Forestry England site partners.

Forestry England Camping at Bracelands, nestled in the Forest of Dean a few miles from Symonds Yat Rock, secured two awards: Bronze in the Camping & Caravanning Park of the Year category and Bronze in the Dog Friendly Business of the Year category.

Adding to the Forest’s success, the Forest of Dean Cycle Centre Cafe, run by Pedalabikeaway, claimed an award for Bronze in the Café/Tearoom of the Year category. The Pedalabikeaway marketing and events team also won Bronze in the Tourism Event/Festival of the Year category for FOD Fest.

Dan Weston, Recreation Manager at the Forest of Dean Cycle Centre, said: “The Forest of Dean is well-known as a destination for outdoor adventure, but these achievements highlight the Forest’s growing reputation as a destination for quality hospitality and recreation. These awards show just how hard our site partners work to make that possible, and all four of these wins are thoroughly deserved.”

Spencer Pettit, Director of Sherwood Pines Camping Ltd, said: “The Forest of Dean is rapidly growing as a must-visit destination, and it’s fantastic to see local businesses earning awards that recognise their hard work and passion. Bracelands Campsite offers a range of accommodation types to suit a growing need for overnight stays in the Forest of Dean and we’re incredibly proud to see Bracelands Campsite earn these awards. There is an exciting momentum building across the region.”

Gareth Sheppard Jones, Managing Director of Pedalabikeaway, said: “We are incredibly happy and humbled to win these two awards, which are fantastic recognition of the hard work of our amazing team. The cafe has now won awards in both 2024 and 2025, and it was great to see FOD Fest, now in its sixth year, get recognised as one of the best events in the South West.”

Forestry England manages and cares for the nation’s 1,500 woods and forests, with over 285 million visits in 2023/24. As England’s largest land manager, the organisation aims to shape landscapes and enhance forests for people to enjoy, wildlife to flourish and businesses to grow.