VisitEngland has announced the finalists who will go forward to compete for the tourism industry’s annual national Awards for Excellence. The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence champion the very best of England’s tourism industry celebrating quality, innovation, best practice and exceptional customer service.
The 48 finalists, announced following a rigorous judging process by handpicked tourism industry experts, now go on to compete in 16 core categories at the national awards, with the Caravan and Motorhome Club announced as headline sponsor.
VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said: “I am always impressed by the tourism businesses who make it onto our list of finalists with their innovative approaches to ensuring people have the most amazing experiences whilst delivering outstanding customer service across England. I congratulate all the finalists and wish them the very best of luck.”
The awards’ categories range from ‘Large Visitor Attraction of the Year’ and ‘Small Hotel of the Year’ to ‘New Tourism Business of the Year’ and ‘Pub of the Year’.
Applications to the awards were put forward for judging from businesses including hotels, self-catering accommodation providers, B&Bs, glamping operators, visitor attractions, restaurants, pubs and museums.
In addition to the 16 core categories, four special awards are also being presented including an ‘Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award’, a ‘Travel Content Award’, the ‘Tourism Superstar Award’ and a ‘TXGB Trailblazer Award’.
All finalists are invited to attend the national awards ceremony, this year being held at Rum Warehouse at The Titanic Hotel Liverpool on 5 June, where Gold, Silver and Bronze winners will be announced at the black tie event. The Family Holiday Charity is the chosen charity for this year’s event.
This year’s Awards aligned with 16 local competitions from across England with winners automatically put forward for the national awards.
Tourism is one of England’s largest and most valuable industries, supporting hundreds of thousands of small-to-medium sized businesses, employing 2.6 million people and, in 2022, generating £66 billion for the economy in domestic visitor spending.
VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2024
List of Finalists:
Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award
Colchester Castle, Essex
Hoe Grange Holidays, Derbyshire
ROARR! Norfolk
B&B and Guest House of the Year
Bossington Hall, Somerset
MonkBridge House, North Yorkshire
The Bosham Boathouse B&B, West Sussex
Business Events Venue of the Year
Telford International Centre, Shropshire
Warwick Conferences, West Midlands
Winter Gardens Blackpool, Lancashire
Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year
Darwin Forest Lodges, Derbyshire
Kits Coty Glamping, Kent
The Secret Garden Glamping, Lancashire
Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award
Kent Wildlife Trust, Kent
Mill Farm Eco Barns, Norfolk
The Yan at Broadrayne, Cumbria
Experience of the Year
Mountain Bike Taster Day, Pure Outdoor, Derbyshire
Grey Seals & Seabird Cruise, Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours, Northumberland
York Ghost Walk, The Deathly Dark Tours, North Yorkshire
Large Hotel of the Year
Hope Street Hotel, Merseyside
Rockliffe Hall Hotel, County Durham
The Grand, York, North Yorkshire
Small Hotel of the Year
The Gallivant, East Sussex
THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay, Cornwall
Wildhive Callow Hall, Derbyshire
New Tourism Business of the Year
Boys Hall, Kent www.boys-hall.com
Sleepy Owl Devon, Devon
The Wizard Walk of York, North Yorkshire
Pub of the Year
The Acorn Inn, Dorset
The Peterville Inn, Cornwall
The Red Fox, Merseyside
Self Catering Accommodation of the Year
Bethnal&Bec, Hertfordshire
My Cottages in St Ives, Cornwall
Sleepy Owl Devon, Devon
Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
Cotswolds Distillery, Warwickshire
Nothe Fort (operated by Weymouth Civic Society), Dorset
The Battle of Britain Memorial, Kent
Taste of England Award
Allium at Askham Hall, Cumbria
Blackfriars Restaurant, Tyne & Wear
La Locanda, Lancashire
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
ROARR! Norfolk www.roarr.co.uk
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, Hertfordshire www.wbstudiotour.co.uk
WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Gloucestershire
Unsung Hero Award
Katie Calder, V-ATE Automotive Smokehouse and Bowl, Lincolnshire
Brett Hawkes, Crowhurst Park, East Sussex
Duncan Wise, Northumberland National Park Authority, Northumberland
Travel Content Award finalists
Ben Aitken, The Guardian – ‘O’er vales and hills in a wheelchair: a new accessible trail in the Lake District’
Liz Edwards, The Times – ‘I went for a cross-country swim in the Thames, here’s what happened’
Richard Franks, JRNY Travel Magazine – ‘Greener Heartlands’
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