BRITAIN’S Tourism Superstar finalist Kevin Robson, of Wild Dog Outdoors, was able to lobby for some final extra votes when he pitched up at the North Tourism Fair and Meet the Maker event at Hexham Mart last week.

Kevin and his wife, Sarah, were among 116 businesses and craftspeople taking part in the trade fair to promote the district’s tourism offering.

Kevin (38) has been nominated in the Visit England awards and if you haven’t cast your vote for him already, you can still do so today and tomorrow, when the ballot closes.

The fair attracted a record number of exhibitors, and Philip Angier, of event organiser Local Living, said it was testiment to the vibrancy of the tourism economy here in Northumberland.

Meanwhile, the exhibitors – from bed and breakfast owners to sausage producers – said it was a fantastic opportunity for networking.

“It’s a fantastic place to meet people face to face,” said Catherine Jarvis, of Four Wynds Guesthouse, Gilsland. “Yes we have technology, which is fantastic, but increasingly it’s that face to face interaction we really need to deepen our business relationships.

“I have done this for four years now and you meet the general public, other stall holders, people from other B&Bs and general interested parties. People might have heard about you, but being here enables you to explain better, and in person, what you are about.”

This year, Catherine was sharing a stall with her husband, Nigel, who heads up the Heart of Hadrian’s Wall Tourism Association and website, which aims to persuade people to linger a little longer in our part of the world.

“Often people just whizz through our district and miss so much. We’re trying to show people there’s a lot more here than just the Roman Wall.”

**To vote for Kevin, visit www.visitbritain.org/tourism-superstar