Awards for tourism excellence in Leicester and Leicestershire

A new awards programme is set to recognise the excellence of tourism businesses in Leicester and Leicestershire. Established by Leicester Shire Promotions and supported by the National Space Centre, the Leicester and Leicestershire Tourism Excellence Awards will celebrate the excellent service that the wide range of local visitor attractions, accommodation providers, restaurants and events offer to ensure visitors to the destination have the best possible experience during their stay.

Entries are now open for the awards with categories including: Access for All Award; Bed & Breakfast/Guest Accommodation of the Year; Best Tourism Event; Large Hotel of the Year; Business Tourism Award; Large Visitor Attraction of the Year; Small Visitor Attraction of the Year; Outstanding Customer Service Award; Self-Catering Holiday of the Year; Small Hotel of the Year; Sustainable Tourism Award; and Taste of England Award.

For more details on the Awards, to request an application pack or to register your interest for a workshop in November 2011 to help you complete your application, please visit www.goleicestershire.com/trade/Excellence-Awards.aspx

The closing date for entries is Thursday 1 December 2011 and the winners will be announced at Leicester Shire Promotions' Tourism Forum at the National Space Centre in Leicester on
7 February 2012. All winners will automatically qualify for the national finals of the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2012.

Martin Peters, Chief Executive of Leicester Shire Promotions, said: "In previous years, Leicester and Leicestershire businesses have been very successful when competing against their regional counterparts in the East Midlands Tourism annual awards. The new awards for Leicester and Leicestershire will allow local tourism businesses to demonstrate their excellence and by winning the local awards, they will go on to compete against the cream of England's tourism sector in the VisitEngland national awards later in 2012."