The winner of the Värmland Tourism Award 2021 has now been voted on via Visit Värmland's social channels and the engagement in the vote has been enormous. The Old Power Station in Deje is the winner and will also be Värmland's contribution to the Great Tourism Award 2021.
– This year we have held a public vote for the Värmland Tourism Award 2021. We think that the whole of Värmland should take a bigger place than in previous years when a jury selected the winner. But now we are incredibly happy and proud to be able to present the winner. The Old Power Station in Deje is a well-deserved winner who constantly shows incredible commitment and a strong forward-thinking spirit. With new thoughts and ideas, they give visitors a mix of art, theater and music in fantastic venues and have proven during the pandemic that it is possible to change their operations through innovative and creative ideas to welcome visitors in a safe and secure way, says Mia Landin, CEO of Visit Värmland.
The Old Power Station in Deje has been operating since 2013 as a unique art gallery with 11-meter-high ceilings and is run by the non-profit association Ulleruds Teateraktörer. Creativity and innovation in the business are a central part as they exhibit art from both established artists and new talents every year. Sustainability permeates the entire business with pastries and food that are locally produced and organic. In addition to art and food, the Old Power Station in Deje offers various music events and is a creative gathering place for people who want to create through various workshops. During the pandemic, the Old Power Station in Deje has created the ”Make it your own” kit for those who want to make crafts at home and visitors are registered when they come and go to limit the number inside the premises.
– It is incredibly fun that we are being recognized in this way and a great honor that we have won the Värmland Tourism Award 2021. The pandemic has of course been a major challenge for the business, but together we have managed to be creative and create new ways and goals to relate to a new everyday life. With this fine award, we get even more motivation to want to develop the business forward and it is of course great that we are also Värmland's candidate for the Great Tourism Award, says Linn Sönstebö Mossberg, operations manager at the Old Power Station in Deje.
The prize will be a check for 10,000 kronor from Visit Värmland to be able to develop the business further and will be awarded on December 2 at Värmland's and Karlstad's Tourism Industry Days 2021. The Old Power Station in Deje is now also ready as Värmland's candidate for the 2021 Great Tourism Prize. The candidates have been nominated by each county and the prize will be awarded on November 24 in connection with the conference The Tourism Industry on the Agenda, which is awarded by the Foundation for the Advancement of Knowledge in Tourism.
