It’s official! Our very own Connor Turnbull, ASG Security Officer at the Dalton Park Outlet Shopping Destination in County Durham, is a ‘superstar’! Connor has won the prestigious Durham Tourism Superstar award for 2022.
As Ivor Stolliday, chair of Visit County Durham Ltd, said: “The competition was created to recognise the beating heart of Durham’s tourism industry; its people. Their smiles, kind words and commitment to ensuring the best visitor experience possible is what makes Durham such an extraordinary place to visit.”
So, it is an incredible achievement for Connor to have his excellent customer service, volunteering experience, and enthusiastic attitude to tourism recognised in this way.
Richard Kaye, centre manager at Dalton Park Outlet Shopping Destination, said, “Connor is a great example of what you can achieve with dedication and hard work. Security can often be an overlooked, challenging, and demanding profession – but Connor does his job and so much more.”
Visit County Durham, Durham County Council’s tourism service, organises the annual competition to celebrate outstanding contributions by individuals working across Durham’s tourism industry. Connor was nominated for the prize alongside staff and volunteers from a wide range of visitor attractions and hospitality venues, with five finalists going head-to-head in a public vote.
Commenting on his victory, Connor said, “Irrespective of the result, I was genuinely over the moon to be nominated alongside such a great group of people and I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for me. I love my job at Dalton Park Outlet Shopping Destination. Every day I get to meet lots of new people while endeavouring to keep them safe. It’s an honour to go forward to the national competition, so right now I am feeling proud, happy, and excited to see where this win might take me.”
Simon Hawkins, ASG Operations Director, also added his voice to the praise for Connor’s great win, “We are all extremely proud of Connor, he is a real asset to the team. This award acknowledges what the Dalton centre team already knew, Connor’s a real ‘superstar’. Good look in the national awards Connor, we are all rooting for you.”