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VisitEngland

VisitEngland Awards for Excellence: award categories

From gin distilleries to ghost walks, historic homes to big attractions, our awards recognise the best of England's tourism.

The 25

View of a bedroom at The 25 Boutique B&B, Devon with a spiky light fitting and the head of a zebra in the centre of a pair of gold wings hung above the bed. Gold winner of the B&B and Guest House of the Year in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2022

Introduction

The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence celebrate the nation’s leading tourism and visitor-focused businesses – from small bed and breakfasts to large attractions and business events venues.

The process begins when you apply to your local tourism awards. You can enter as many categories as you wish, as long as your business fits the entry criteria. The overall winners of core local categories are automatically submitted to the national judging, culminating in the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence event.

You must enter your local tourism awards competition for the opportunity to progress to national judging. Read the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence FAQs.

The local awards structure

Most regional awards contests offer both local and core awards. A local category is only offered by the regional competition, meaning that recognition is only available at a local level. Meanwhile, core category winners are put forward to national judging.

Within the core categories, there are two types of awards:

  1. Business-led: those that highlight the best businesses in a particular sector, for example the Small Hotel of the Year award.
  2. Market-led: those that highlight businesses who really understand their target audience, for example the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award.

The core categories are set by VisitEngland’s Tourism Awards Steering Group, and reviewed annually to reflect the latest industry structure and market trends.

Local and national awards core categories

All local competitions aligned with the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2024 must offer the following categories:

Bed and Breakfast and Guest House of the Year

Recognises bed & breakfast and guest house businesses that provide a fabulous service and create great memories for their guests.

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Small Hotel of the Year

Recognises small-to-medium-sized serviced accommodations that offer a fantastic welcome, quality experiences and high standards.

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Large Hotel of the Year

Recognises large full-service hotels that provide exemplary service, a top-quality food offering and a memorable stay.

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Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year

Recognises holiday parks, sites and villages that provide exceptional guest experiences across static vans, touring pitches, shepherd's huts and more.

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Self Catering Accommodation of the Year

Recognises self catering accommodation businesses that provide the highest quality holidays, from romantic hideaways to family-friendly breaks.

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Small Visitor Attraction of the Year

Recognises small visitor attractions that leave visitors with lasting memories and excel in customer service.

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Large Visitor Attraction of the Year

Recognises large visitor attractions that provide extraordinary visitor experiences and demonstrate excellence across every aspect of the business.

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Pub of the Year

Recognises pubs that make a significant contribution to tourism in their area, with a food and drink offering that includes quality locally sourced produce.

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Experience of the Year

Recognises providers of memorable and immersive activities for visitors to participate in, from cooking masterclasses to woodland nature tours.

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New Tourism Business of the Year

Recognises high-performing new tourism businesses with excellent market understanding, customer satisfaction and clear plans for future development.

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Taste of England Award

Recognises businesses within the tourism industry that offer outstanding cuisine, innovative service and excellence throughout their entire operation.

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Local competitions are required to offer at least two of these four categories:

Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award

Recognises tourism businesses that excel in providing an inclusive customer experience, particularly for those with accessibility requirements.

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Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award

Recognises tourism businesses that are committed to being sustainable, responsible and ethical in how they operate and interact with customers, the wider community and the environment.

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Unsung Hero Award

Recognises an individual working for a tourism business who excels in their role and deserves to be applauded for their work and commitment to the industry.

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Business Events Venue of the Year

Recognises business events venues that demonstrate an excellent understanding of the market. These must exceed the expectations of their clients and have a strategic plan for future development within this area, with clear goals.

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Special award categories

The national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence also include a selection of special prizes. The winners are determined by VisitEngland, with the exception of Tourism Superstar, which is decided by public vote in partnership with The Mirror.

Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award

This coveted award is given every year by the VisitEngland Advisory Board, to an individual or institution that has contributed something special and unique to tourism in England.

Through their work during the previous year, the recipients of this award have supported our mission and highlighted tourism’s contribution and value to our nation’s economy, employment, environment and quality of life.

Previous winners include Her Majesty The Queen, English pubs, BBC Countryfile, The Premier League and England’s National Parks.

In 2023, the Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award was awarded to England’s Coast.

Tourism Superstar

The annual Tourism Superstar prize recognises the dedication and passion of those working in the tourism industry, and is awarded to an individual who goes above and beyond the call of duty.

Run in partnership with The Mirror, the campaign champions careers in tourism for people of all ages, and promotes quality, customer service and excellence within England’s tourism industry.

Now in its 11th year, Tourism Superstar celebrates individuals in the tourism industry who go the extra mile to ensure that visitors to England have an unforgettable experience. Nominees are passionate about where they work and the destination they live in, and consistently set the bar high for the standard of service in England’s tourism industry.

Travel Content Award

This award recognises the important contribution that media and influencers make in championing the array of great experiences on offer across England.

TXGB Trailblazer Award

This prize recognises businesses that work with TXGB and who have led the way in pioneering new initiatives, increasing economic impact and driving awareness to connect with the TXGB platform. It is shortlisted and awarded directly by TXGB.

Apply now

Apply now

Your journey to the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence starts by entering your local competition. Simply complete one application for your regional awards, and if you win you will automatically be submitted to the national awards. Entry dates vary, so sign up to your local awards communication channels to stay updated.

Useful information

Local competitions are required to offer at least two of the following categories: Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award, ​​Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award, Unsung Hero Award and Business Events Venue of the Year.

In addition, local awards competitions may choose to offer extra categories which do not feed up to the national awards, such as Event of the Year, which are specific to that destination.

Local competitions may choose to combine certain core categories. For example, instead of running both Small Visitor Attraction of the Year and Large Visitor Attraction of the Year awards, a single Visitor Attraction of the Year category may be offered. The winner would be put forward to the most relevant category at national level. The combined categories are: Hotel of the Year, Small Serviced Accommodation Provider of the Year, Visitor Attraction of the Year, Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year and Self Catering Accommodation of the Year.

Local competitions may choose to split certain categories. For example, the Taste of England Award category could be split into Restaurant of the Year and Tearoom of the Year at local level, with an overall winner selected and put forward for the national Taste of England Award. Also, the Taste of England Award name may be changed to reflect the local destination, for example Taste of Cumbria Award.

Local competition organisers and VisitEngland reserve the right to refuse an application if the business does not meet the eligibility criteria, or to move an application to another category if deemed more appropriate.

In certain circumstances, a local competition may not carry a mandatory core category if there is deemed to be insufficient stock in the area. For example, an urban awards competition may not carry the Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year category.

Terms and conditions vary by local competition.