A teenager who fled the war in Ukraine has been crowned as the rising star of the tourism industry in North Wales.<\/p>\n
Yuliia Batrak, 19, a student at Coleg Llandrillo, won Young Person in Tourism and Hospitality prize at the prestigious Go North Wales Tourism Awards.<\/p>\n
At the other end of the age spectrum, the blue riband Service to Tourism Award went to Geoff Lofthouse, 70, who retired recently after more than 40 years as manager of the four star Imperial Hotel in Llandudno.<\/p>\n
The annual event at Venue Cymru was organised by North Wales Tourism to celebrate the dedication, skill and achievements of the region\u2019s tourism and hospitality industry.<\/p>\n
It was hosted by former BBC journalist Sian Lloyd and the headline sponsor once again was Harlech Foodservice which supplies many of the region\u2019s hotels, guest houses and restaurants and has renewed its support for three years.<\/p>\n
Originally from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, Yuliia came to the UK with her mother, Liudmyla, and younger sister Alona after Russia invaded their homeland.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cI\u2019m over the moon to win this award. It\u2019s really exciting because this has been such an amazing journey for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have worked really hard for it but really didn\u2019t expect to win because there are so many great people in this category.<\/p>\n
\u201cI came here three and a half years ago and had always wanted to work in tourism and hospitality, at first in food and now in a front of house role.<\/p>\n
\u201cNorth Wales is a really friendly place and the people have really accepted me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s now my second home so I am really honoured to be chosen for this award.<\/p>\n
\u201cEventually I would like to own my own place, a high end hotel or restaurant and possibly with some Ukrainian influences.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yuliia has been a student at Coleg Llandrillo since 2022 and is studying for a Level 3 Diploma in Food and Beverage Service Supervision. She also works part time at the George Hotel in Llandudno<\/p>\n
She is part of the UK skills food service team representing the UK and Wales at European and world competitions.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year she was awarded the Medallion for Excellence at the EuroSkills 2025 competition in Denmark.<\/p>\n
Yuliia\u2019s personal tutor Mike Garner, a hospitality lecturer at Coleg Llandrillo, said: \u201cFrom the very first training sessions I spent with Yuliia, you could see she had the dedication and focus to achieve great things and gain great success.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am incredibly proud of Yuliia and all that she has achieved so far. She has also been a has been a positive influence on her peers and become a real example of what hard work and dedication can achieve.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe is consistently cheerful and always embraces her challenges and opportunities with a big smile and cheerful demeanour.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the other big winners on the night was fairytale 19th<\/sup> century hotel Chateau Rhianfa, spectacularly located overlooking the Menai Strait and across to breathtaking views of Snowdonia.<\/p>\n The 26-bedroom, Grade II listed chateau on the outskirts of Menai Bridge was named Hotel of the Year, having built a reputation as one of the most iconic places to stay in Wales.<\/p>\n A very different business, located nearby on the shoreline in Menai Bridge, also came out on top.<\/p>\n RibRide, which offers high-speed boat trips around the Anglesey coastline, was named as Activity or Experience of the Year \u2013 20 years after they launched their first rib into the Menai Strait.<\/p>\n The business has also been recognised on Trip Advisor as the best boat tour operator in the UK and carries over 20,000 passengers a year.<\/p>\n A giant of the adventure tourism industry, won the Visitor Attraction of the Year accolade, confirming its place as one of North Wales\u2019 greatest success stories.<\/p>\n The company, which has its headquarters in Llanrwst,\u00a0 and began with its world famous zip line over Penrhyn Quarry in Bethesda, been tough competition to take home the top prize.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the acclaimed\u00a0 Signatures restaurant, based at the Aberconwy Resort & Spa in Conwy also tasted success.<\/p>\n The eatery headed up by chef Jimmy Williams and his wife, Louise, was honoured as Restaurant of the Year.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also been named Wales’ Best Restaurant at the World Culinary Awards three times.<\/p>\n Geoff Lofthouse was also delighted to be honoured at the event and he said: \u201cI came to manage the Imperial Hotel 44 years ago in 1981 and really only expected to be here for a year or at most 18 months.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve loved it here. North Wales is just such a wonderful place to live the Imperial has been a great hotel to run.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been able to do a lot of interesting things there and we won then AA Hotel of the Year for Wales and now receiving this award is another highlight now that I\u2019m retired.<\/p>\n \u201cNow I\u2019m just going to play a bit of golf and play around with cars and just enjoy life the way I enjoyed my work.\u201d<\/p>\n According to head judge, Jim Jones, the chief executive of North Wales Tourism, Geoff Lofthouse was a very worthy winner of the Service to Tourism Award.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cWhat Geoff has achieved over more than four decades at the helm of the Imperial Hotel has been remarkable and has helped cement Llandudno\u2019s reputation as the Queen of Resorts.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is a real role model to those following in his footsteps, including the truly inspirational Yuliia Batrak who is already making her mark in the industry and has an incredibly bright future ahead of her.<\/p>\n \u201cI would like to congratulate both Geoff and Yuliia and every single one of the winners but I would also like to stress that all the nominees are the heroes of our tourism and hospitality industry.<\/p>\n \u201cThis event really showcases the very best of North Wales and we have seen so many amazing entries, all of which underlines why this is a truly world class destination for visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n Harlech Foodservice Sales director Mark Lawton said: \u201cWe\u2019re thrilled to continue our support for the North Wales Tourism Awards so we can celebrate the people and businesses who help make North Wales one of the UK\u2019s top visitor destinations.<\/p>\n \u201cThis event has become a real highlight in the region\u2019s calendar and plays a vital role in recognising a sector that\u2019s at the heart of the North Wales economy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re incredibly lucky to live and work in such a beautiful part of the world. Visitors come here for the scenery and adventure, but great food and drink are a huge part of the experience too. That\u2019s why we always try to source as much as possible from local producers \u2014 it\u2019s something we\u2019re passionate about.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNorth Wales is a world-class destination \u2014 diverse, innovative and full of character.. After everything the industry has been through, particularly during the pandemic, it\u2019s fantastic to be able to give something back and celebrate the success of our core customers.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cAs a major North Wales employer, we\u2019re proud that our teams, suppliers and customers all contribute to the local economy. The money spent with us stays in the region \u2014 supporting local venues, tradespeople and producers \u2014 creating a real circular economy that keeps North Wales thriving.\u201d<\/p>\n