KENT'S tourism industry is celebrating winning two major awards and a host of other accolades in the 2007 Tourism ExSEllence Awards, covering the entire South East region.

Bedgebury National Pinetum & Forest at Goudhurst won the first ever Sports Tourism Award, while the four star Coldharbour Cottage at Stone-in-Oxney, Knock Hill, near Tenterden, won the Self Catering Holiday category.

The county's tourism businesses were also honoured in the Visitor Attractions, B&B, Outstanding Customer Service and Tourist Information Centre of the Year categories.

The Tourism ExSEllence awards are sponsored by EDF Energy and organised by Tourism South East.

The first ever Sports Tourism Award, sponsored by Sport England South East, went to Bedgebury, described as a pioneering tourism business. Until 2006, its two thousand acres of forest were primarily used for timber production.

As part of the Forestry Commission’s national initiative to develop sport and recreation on its land, the forest was opened up for healthy outdoor sporting activity and now offers family cycling, mountain biking, walking, archery, riding, a Go Ape high wire adventure course and more.

In the first year after opening its new facilities it attracted more than 180,000 paying visitors, up from 29,000 in the previous year.

Coldharbour Cottage, winner of the highly competitive Self-Catering Holiday of the Year Award was described by judges as "superb".

Kent's outstanding visitor attractions were recognised with The National Trust’s Chartwell, at Westerham, named runner-up in the coveted Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category. Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust was highly commended in this section.

In the equally competitive Small Visitor Attraction Award (fewer than 50,000 visitors per year), the Shepherd Neame Visitor Centre at Faversham was runner-up. Horace Holyer from Dover Market Square Welcome Service was runner-up in the Outstanding Customer Service Award.

The five-star Gold Award-rated Gardeners Rest Guest Accommodation at Kingsdown, near Deal, was highly commended in the B&B/Guest Accommodation category, and Canterbury Visitor Information Centre was named as highly commended in the TIC of the Year section.