The modernised VisitEngland Awards for Excellence and its associated local and regional competitions recognises and celebrates businesses and individuals that deliver amazing experiences for visitors, raising the profile of England as a world-class destination.
The only way to be considered for the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence is to apply through your local or regional competition.
You can apply for as many categories as you wish as long as you meet the criteria for each one. To see the eligibility criteria for each category scroll down the page.
Recognises small hotels as well as bed & breakfast and guest house businesses providing truly memorable guest experiences and demonstrating excellence across every aspect of the business.
Eligibility criteria
Directly involved in tourism, making a contribution to the visitor economy with a significant proportion of business generated by people visiting from outside the local area.
This is a broad category for all types and styles of small serviced accommodation except large ‘full service’ hotels, as these have their own category.
Usually offers up to 35 bedrooms. However, serviced accommodation businesses with more than 35 bedrooms can apply if they consider themselves appropriate for this category.
For B&B and guest house style properties:
Proprietor considers their business to be a bed & breakfast or guest house and promotes it as such
The proprietor or a staff member likely live on site
Offers a maximum of 12 guest bedrooms. However, businesses with more than 12 bedrooms can apply if they consider themselves appropriate for this category
Property may also be the proprietor’s home
Most likely to be run by the owner with few or no additional staff
Guests are likely to have direct interaction with proprietor
Breakfast must be available on site, adjacent or close to the premises.
For small hotel style properties:
Offers a selection of hotel services, which are likely to include some or all of: reception, restaurant, bar, dinner and breakfast
A serviced accommodation business may consider this category or the Large Hotel of the Year – choosing the category that best suits their business and only entering one.
Businesses that serve food must have a minimum food hygiene rating of three out of five. The competition organisers reserve the right to refuse an application if this minimum requirement is not met at any point prior to the awards ceremony. An exception is made for new businesses who have not yet been graded.
Applications from a chain or group operator must relate to a single site and not multiple sites.
Businesses that have
been trading for at least three months and up to two years when applications
open are strongly recommended to apply to the New Tourism Business of the Year
category before considering applying to any other categories.
For the purpose of
eligibility for this competition, ‘trading’ means serving customers. If the
business has not been trading this long, then they will need to wait to apply
to the competition in 2023/24.
Judging process: Pre-booked announced day visit
Recognises full service hotels providing truly memorable guest experiences and demonstrating excellence across every aspect of the business.
Eligibility criteria
Judging process: Pre-booked announced day visit
Eligibility criteria
Directly involved in tourism, making a contribution to the visitor economy with a significant proportion of business generated by people visiting from outside the local area.
Camping, glamping and holiday park style businesses:
Self catering style properties:
Judging process: Pre-booked announced day visit
Recognises small visitor attraction businesses providing truly memorable visitor experiences and demonstrating excellence across every aspect of the business.
Eligibility criteria
Judging process: Unannounced day visit - applicant must provide a pre-paid voucher for judge +1
Recognises large visitor attraction businesses providing truly memorable visitor experiences and demonstrating excellence across every aspect of the business.
Eligibility criteria
• Directly involved in tourism, making a contribution to the visitor economy with a significant proportion of business generated by people visiting from outside the local area
• A business’ main offering must have been open for a period of at least eight weeks since the introduction of COVID-Secure operating guidelines (after July 2020) and this period must be reflected within the application. Businesses where the main offering has remained closed since April 2020 may consider applying to the Resilience and Innovation Award
• Meets the visitor attraction definition:
“…a permanently established excursion destination, a primary purpose of which is to allow access for entertainment, interest, or education and can include places of worship; rather than being primarily a retail outlet or a venue for sporting, theatrical, or film performances. It must be open to the public, with or without prior booking, for published periods each year, and should be capable of attracting day visitors or tourists as well as local residents.”
• Attracts 75,000 visitors or more per year, or employs more than 10 full-time equivalent members of staff
• Is capable of attracting day visitors, tourist and local residents
• May occasionally require pre-booking for a visit or activity
• Retail outlets, sporting venues and theatres are not eligible to apply unless there is also a tour, museum or exhibition element included
• Guided tours that are not based within a visitor attraction should apply for the relevant Experience of the Year category
• Businesses that serve food must have a minimum food hygiene rating of three out of five. The competition organisers reserve the right to refuse an application if this minimum requirement is not met at any point prior to the awards ceremony. An exception is made for new businesses who have not yet been graded
• Applications from a chain or group operator must relate to a single site and not multiple sites
• Businesses that have been trading for at least three months and up to two years when applications open are strongly recommended to apply to the New Tourism Business of the Year category before considering applying to any other categories.
Judging process: Unannounced day visit - applicant must provide a pre-paid voucher for judge +1
Recognises pubs that make a significant contribution to tourism in their area, with a food and drink offering that includes quality locally sourced produce.
Eligibility criteria
Recognises providers of truly memorable and immersive activities for visitors to participate in.
Eligibility criteria
Eligibility criteria
•
Directly
involved in tourism, making a contribution to the visitor economy with a
significant proportion of business generated by people visiting from outside
the local area.
Only tourism businesses who directly serve the end-users are eligible (i.e. the tourist/ visitor/ guest). Business to business agencies or intermediaries e.g. that manage business to consumer (B2C) presence for tourism businesses; would not be eligible.
'Tourism product' covers a number of different categories including:
Accommodation e.g. hotels, bed & breakfasts, guest houses, self-catering/serviced apartments, hostels, holiday boats, camping, caravanning, glamping, lodges, shepherds huts, chalets
Hospitality i.e. a single food and beverage service business e.g. pub, restaurant, café, tea room, coffee shop, bistros, food and drink markets, kiosks & street food (in a regular location). [For these purposes the definition of a food and drink market is a collection of independent food and drink establishments with ancillary services (e.g. parking area, toilets, security, visitor information) and maintained by a management firm as an entity.]
• Has been trading for at least three months and up to two years when applications open (for first applicable local/regional competition).
• An existing business that has diversified by adding a new product at the same location or a different location may only apply if the new product is marketed as a standalone operation, and is available independently to the other products offered by the business. An existing business that has undergone a refurbishment or re-vamp would not be eligible.
• An existing business with new owners will only be eligible if a fundamental change to the business has occurred within two years of the new owners starting trading. A fundamental change would include at least two of the following:
o significant investment
o rebrand/ name change/ change to Companies House registration
o change in target market.
• Businesses that serve food must have a minimum food hygiene rating of three out of five. The competition organisers reserve the right to refuse an application if this minimum requirement is not met at any point prior to the awards ceremony. An exception is made for new businesses who have not yet been graded.
• Events and festivals are not eligible to apply to this category due to the likelihood of VisitEngland Awards for Excellence winners not being announced until one or two years after the event took place e.g. an event taking place in 2021 may not be recognised by VisitEngland until 2023; the event may have ceased or declined in quality since then.
• Businesses of all sizes can apply as this category is judged within the context and style of the business.
• Applications from a chain or group operator must relate to a single site and not multiple sites.
• For the purpose of eligibility for this competition, ‘trading’ means serving customers. If the business has not been trading this long, then they will need to wait to apply to the competition in 2023/24.
If the business has previously won New Tourism Business of the Year, they are not eligible to enter this category again
Recognises business events venues that demonstrate an excellent understanding of the market, exceeding the expectations of their clients and have a strategic plan for future development within this area, with clear goals.
Eligibility criteria
· Directly involved in tourism, making a contribution to the visitor economy with a significant proportion of business generated by people visiting from outside the local area.
· Any business that hosts business events (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) e.g. hotels, conference centres, exhibition venues.
· Clients may be exclusively from UK markets or may also be from international markets.
· Businesses that serve food must have a minimum food hygiene rating of three out of five. The competition organisers reserve the right to refuse an application if this minimum requirement is not met at any point prior to the awards ceremony. An exception is made for new businesses who have not yet been graded.
· Events and festivals are not eligible to apply to this category due to the likelihood of VisitEngland Awards for Excellence winners not being announced until one or two years after the event took place e.g. an event taking place in 2021 may not be recognised by VisitEngland until 2023; the event may have ceased or declined in quality since then.
· Businesses of all sizes can apply as this category is judged within the context and style of the business.
· Applications from a chain or group operator must relate to a single site and not multiple sites.
· Businesses that have been trading for at least three months and up to two years when applications open are strongly recommended to apply to the New Tourism Business of the Year category before considering applying to any other categories.
· For the purpose of eligibility for this competition, ‘trading’ means serving customers. If the business has not been trading this long, then they will need to wait to apply to the competition in 2023/24.
Recognises businesses within the tourism industry that offer food, beverage and service innovation and excellence.
Eligibility criteria
Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award
Recognises tourism businesses providing truly memorable
visitor experiences for everyone, particularly those with accessibility requirements,
and demonstrating excellence across every aspect of the business.
Eligibility criteria
• Directly involved in tourism, making a contribution to the visitor economy with a significant proportion of business generated by people visiting from outside the local area.
· Meets the tourism product definition:
· Only tourism businesses who directly serve the end-users are eligible (i.e. the tourist/ visitor/ guest). Business to business agencies or intermediaries e.g. that manage business to consumer (B2C) presence for tourism businesses; would not be eligible.
· 'Tourism product' covers a number of different categories including:
o Accommodation e.g. hotels, bed & breakfasts, guest houses, self-catering/serviced apartments, hostels, holiday boats, camping, caravanning, glamping, lodges, shepherds huts, chalets
o Hospitality i.e. a single food and beverage service business e.g. pub, restaurant, café, tea room, coffee shop, bistros, food and drink markets, kiosks & street food (in a regular location). [For these purposes the definition of a food and drink market is a collection of independent food and drink establishments with ancillary services (e.g. parking area, toilets, security, visitor information) and maintained by a management firm as an entity.]
o Transport services e.g. rail, road, water, airports and rental
o Guided tours
o Cultural services, e.g. theatres, musical entertainment venues, sporting venues
o Travel agencies and other reservation services, including tour operators and destination management companies
o Sporting, adventure and recreational activities
o Retail i.e. a single retail outlet or shopping centre that attracts a significant number of people visiting from outside the local area [For these purposes the definition of a shopping centre is a collection of independent retail stores with ancillary services (e.g. parking area, toilets, security, visitor information) and maintained by a management firm as an entity.]
o Businesses providing supporting services to visitors in-person within the destination e.g. visitor information providers, left luggage services
o Visitor attractions that meet the visitor attraction definition: a permanently established excursion destination, a primary purpose of which is to allow access for entertainment, interest, or education and can include places of worship; rather than being primarily a retail outlet or a venue for sporting, theatrical, or film performances. It must be open to the public, with or without prior booking, for published periods each year, and should be capable of attracting day visitors or tourists as well as local residents.
· Businesses that serve food must have a minimum food hygiene rating of three out of five. The competition organisers reserve the right to refuse an application if this minimum requirement is not met at any point prior to the awards ceremony. An exception is made for new businesses who have not yet been graded.
· Events and festivals are not eligible to apply to this category due to the likelihood of VisitEngland Awards for Excellence winners not being announced until one or two years after the event took place e.g. an event taking place in 2021 may not be recognised by VisitEngland until 2023; the event may have ceased or declined in quality since then.
· Businesses of all sizes can apply as this category is judged within the context and style of the business.
· Applications from a chain or group operator must relate to a single site and not multiple sites.
· Businesses that have been trading for at least three months and up to two years when applications open, are strongly recommended to apply to the New Tourism Business of the Year category before considering applying to any other categories.
· For the purpose of eligibility for this competition, ‘trading’ means serving customers. If the business has not been trading this long, then they will need to wait to apply to the competition in 2023/24
Judging process: Pre-booked announced day visit |
Recognises tourism businesses committed to being sustainable, responsible and ethical in how they operate and interact with customers, the wider community and the environment.
Eligibility criteria
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.
Eligibility criteria
Judging process: no visit
Do you have a colleague who has shown exceptional
promise and is working their way up the ranks in your business? Do you want to
celebrate their achievements, if so this is the award for them.
Eligibility criteria
Each year Leicestershire's calendar is packed
full with vibrant festivals or events. We love the sounds, colour and art that
this brings to the destination. What makes yours stand out above the rest?
Eligibility criteria
Best Free Event of the Year
Each year Leicestershire's calendar is packed
full with vibrant festivals or events. We love the sounds, colour and art that
this brings to the destination. What makes yours stand out above the rest?
Eligibility criteria
We all say that we work with the 'A Team' but do
you work with the best team in the tourism business? Do you want to celebrate
their achievements? Then this is the award for you!
Eligibility criteria
From email campaigns, to social media, print and broadcast
advertising, marketing is the life blood that drives our businesses. We are
looking to recognise innovation, creativity and above all, success in this new
category.
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Quorn Grange
68 Wood Lane, Quorn,
Loughborough, Leicestershire
LE12 8DB
United Kingdom