The Kennedy International North West 200 in association with Coca Cola Zero picked up two runners-up awards in this year’s Northern Ireland Tourism Awards held at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum on 28th May. The event was highly commended in The PR Excellence category and commended in Tourism Innovation with judges paying tribute to the “hard work and dedication of the North West 200 organisers who always strive to improve the event with innovative concepts.” Judges were also impressed by the local, national and international media coverage generated by the North West 200.

The awards follow last year’s success in winning Event of the Year and Clerk of Course Mervyn Whyte MBE said, “I’m delighted that the North West 200’s contribution to tourism has been recognised. Upwards of 150,000 spectators attend Race Day each year with approximately 60% coming from outside Northern Ireland and this year’s runners up awards helps pay tribute to all our 850 volunteers who work so hard to make the event highly professional. I would also like to thank our key partners, The Kennedy Group, Coca Cola Zero, Coleraine Borough Council and BBC Sport NI who have helped raise the profile of the event globally.”

Other awards presented to the North West 200 in recent years include the NITB Event of the Year in 2008, the Freedom of Coleraine in 2003, a CIPR Gold Award for public relations in 2004, a NI Travel & Tourism Award in 2005, a Belfast Telegraph Sports Award for Mervyn Whyte in 2006 and in 2007 Mervyn was awarded an MBE for services to motorsport.