VisitEngland’s Tourism Superstar award
Nominations now open
Visit this link to submit your nominations to find the winner of Tourism Superstar 2026!
VisitEngland’s annual Tourism Superstar competition champions those in the tourism industry who provide an unforgettable visitor experience. The winner is crowned at the end of the competition, based on the highest number of public votes.
From tour guides to wildlife rangers, Tourism Superstars are passionate about the destination they work in and set the bar high for the standard of service in England’s tourism industry.
The winner is decided by public vote from a shortlist of ten finalists usually entered by their employers or destinations. The winner will be announced after English Tourism Week (13-22 March 2026), and will receive a trophy at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2026 ceremony.
2025 Winner
Congratulations to port volunteers, the Southampton Saints, the winners of Tourism Superstar 2025! The Southampton Saints are made up of 13 port cruise welcome ambassadors who greet visitors at the city’s port. Scroll down to watch the 2025 nominees’ video and read their biogs to learn more about our 10 fantastic finalists.
The Southampton Saints are the winners of Tourism Superstar 2025!
2nd place went to Wendy Wilshere, Head of Volunteer Casting and Engagement, 11Arches / Kynren, County Durham (bottom left).
3rd place went to Hannah Clapp, Head of Experiences, Muncaster Castle, Gardens and Hawk & Owl Centre, Cumbria.
2025 Finalists' video
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Tourism Superstar recognises the people who go above and beyond to make visitor experiences in England so special. Whether creating a memorable stay in a seaside hotel, adding a touch of showbiz to a tour or an attraction, or making sure everyone’s needs are catered for, these individuals and teams truly go the extra mile.
More about the Tourism Superstar award
Entrants can be nominated by any means: by their Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) or Destination Delivery Partnership (DDP), business or organisation they work for, their local destination organisation (DMO), a co-worker or themselves.
Nominations are now open for VisitEngland’s Tourism Superstar 2026. Please contact Charlotte Sanders at [email protected] with any queries.
Awards timeline
Nominations open:
- 15 October 2025: Competition opens for nominations* for VisitEngand’s Tourism Superstar 2026
- 26 November 2025: Nominations close at midnight. 10 finalists to be announced in the following few weeks.
- Between 8 December 2025 and 12 January 2026 dates TBC: The 10 finalists will be filmed in their local area with these films hosted on a VisitEngland’s nomination platform for viewing and voting the public – members of the public will then be able to watch the videos and cast their votes. The films will also be shown on VisitEngland corporate and social channels
Voting begins:
- 9 February - 22 March 2026: voting underway for the Tourism Superstar 2026 competition. Drive voting to the VisitEngland nomination platform
Winner announced:
- Week commencing 23 March 2026: VisitEngland to announce winner during English Tourism Week 2026
- The winner of VisitEngland’s Tourism Superstar 2026 will be invited to attend and receive their award at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2026 ceremony in spring/summer 2026 - exact date and venue TBC
- Over the course of the year the Superstar winner or winners may be included and asked to speak at other VisitEngland events
*To qualify for VisitEngland’s Tourism Superstar competition, nominees must:
- Work for a tourism business or organisation in England and continue to work for that organisation at the time of English Tourism Week 2026.
- Be knowledgeable and passionate about the destination they work in and happy to talk about the destination outside of their work remit.
- Go above and beyond the call of duty to make the visitor experience memorable.
- Be available and willing to travel to London or be on site at their workplace from 8 December 2025 – 12 January 2026 dates TBC to be filmed and happy for that film to be posted on the VisitEngland website for a number of weeks and used on VisitEngland’s social media channels as well as those of their DMO and employer.
- Be available to attend the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2026 ceremony in spring/summer 2026 – exact date and venue TBC.
- Be aware that they have been nominated and happy to participate in any related PR and media opportunities during or post the announcement of the winner.
- The 10 finalists will be required to fill in and sign a waiver form to allow VisitEngland rights to the films created.
- Previous winners must leave at least one year before applying again.
