Categories for the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2022/23

The following categories relate to the awards cycle culminating in the national Awards for Excellence event in June 2023. All local competitions have now closed for entries.

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

Core categories

  • The 25 Boutique B&B, Devon

    B&B and Guest House of the Year DOCX, 48.9KB

    Recognises B&Bs and guest houses providing truly memorable guest experiences.

  • Seaham Hall, Northumberland

    Small Hotel of the Year DOCX, 48.7KB

    Recognises small serviced accommodation businesses providing truly memorable guest experiences.

  • The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, Bath

    Large Hotel of the Year DOCX, 48.7KB

    Recognises full service hotels providing truly memorable guest experiences.

  • Secret Meadows, Suffolk (c) Craig Girling

    Camping Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year DOCX, 48.1KB

    Recognises holiday parks, sites and villages providing truly memorable guest experiences.

  • Treeopia, Worcestershire (c) Nicki Beavan

    Self Catering Accommodation of the Year DOCX, 48.1KB

    Recognises self catering accommodation businesses providing truly memorable guest experiences.

  • Nothe Fort, Dorset

    Small Visitor Attraction of the Year DOCX, 49.6KB

    Recognises small visitor attraction businesses providing truly memorable visitor experiences.

  • Chester Zoo, Cheshire

    Large Visitor Attraction of the Year DOCX, 49.8KB

    Recognises large visitor attraction businesses providing truly memorable visitor experiences.

  • The Cotley Inn, Somerset

    Pub of the Year DOCX, 47.8KB

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

  • Mylor Sailing & Powerboat School, Cornwall (c) Tracey Boyne

    Experience of the Year DOCX, 49.7KB

    Recognises providers of truly memorable and immersive activities for visitors to participate in.

  • Three Mile Beach, Cornwall

    New Tourism Business of the Year DOCX, 50.1KB

    Recognises new tourism businesses who understand their market, exceed the expectations of their customers and have clear plans for future development.

  • Lu Ban Restaurant, Merseyside

    Taste of England Award DOCX, 48.3KB

    Recognises businesses within the tourism industry that offer food, beverage and service innovation and excellence.

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

    In addition, local awards competitions may choose to offer additional categories at a local level that do not feed up to the national Awards, such as ‘Event of the Year’, which are specific to the destination.

    Please note:

    Local competitions may choose to combine certain core categories e.g. instead of running ‘Small Visitor Attraction of the Year’ and ‘Large Visitor Attraction of the Year’, 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:

    Local competitions may choose to split certain categories e.g. 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’.

    The ‘Taste of England Award’ name may be changed to reflect the local destination e.g. ‘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 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 e.g. an urban awards competition may not carry the Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year category.

    Terms and conditions vary by local competition.

    It was the highlight of my career…I didn’t stop smiling for a week