VisitEngland unveils finalists for the Awards for Excellence 2017
VisitEngland has today announced the finalists for the Awards for Excellence 2017, the most prestigious awards in English tourism.
England, 2017-Mar-11 — /Travel PR News/ — VisitEngland has today announced the finalists for the Awards for Excellence 2017, the most prestigious awards in English tourism.
The Awards, now in their 28th year, recognise and congratulate those businesses and individuals from across England who champion the very best practice and excellence in customer service. Winners will be announced at the Awards ceremony on Monday 24 April at the Hilton Waldorf, London.
VisitEngland Chief Executive Sally Balcombe said: “The Awards shine a spotlight on an industry driven by the highest-calibre people and organisations who deliver unforgettable experiences for visitors, raising the profile of England as a world-class destination and driving the economic benefits of tourism across the regions.”
Competition this year was particularly fierce, and the 67 finalists were selected from almost 600 applications spread across 22 categories.
This year saw the highest number of applications ever submitted for the Awards, which range from Inclusive Tourism to Visitor Information Provider of the Year and three family friendly awards (Accommodation, Attraction and Food & Drink Business of the Year). Applications were received from businesses including hotels, B&Bs, glamping operators, restaurants, food and drink producers, pubs, museums, and conference centres.
VisitEngland has named 2017 the ‘Year of Literary Heroes’ in recognition of this year’s milestone literary events including the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death, the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and 75 years of The Famous Five.
Below are the finalists in each category for this year’s awards (listed alphabetically):
The categories for the 2017 awards include: Afternoon Tea of the Year, Bed and Breakfast of the Year, Boutique / Guest Accommodation of the Year, Business Tourism Award, GREAT China Welcome of the Year, Dog Friendly Business of the Year, Family Friendly Accommodation of the Year, Family Friendly Attraction of the Year, Family Friendly Food & Drink Business of the Year, Glamping Provider of the Year, Guided Tour of the Year, Holiday Park / Holiday Village of the Year, Hotel of the Year, Inclusive Tourism Award, Large Visitor Attraction of the Year, Self-Catering Holiday Provider of the Year, Self-Catering Property of the Year, Small Visitor Attraction of the Year, Sustainable Tourism Award, Taste of England Award, Tourism Pub of the Year and Visitor Information Provider of the Year.
In addition to the 22 categories are the additional Awards for Tourism Superstar and Outstanding Contribution to Tourism. The Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award will be announced at the awards ceremony. Previous winners of this award have included The Great English Pub, Michael Eavis CBE, HM The Queen, the Harry Potter films, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Sir Paul McCartney, Liverpool, The National Trust, The English Garden, 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Makers, The Travel Agent, Chefs of England and last year BBC’s Countryfile.
Tourism Superstar provides destination management organisations with the opportunity to participate in a national campaign. The campaign champions careers in tourism for people of all ages and promotes quality, customer service and excellence within England’s tourism industry. It acknowledges that the industry is a people-facing, people-focused industry. For more information and to cast a vote, visit https://www.visitbritain.org/tourism-superstar
Family Traveller has sponsored the Family Friendly Accommodation of the year Award, the Family Friendly Attraction of the Year Award and the Family Friendly Food and Drink Business of the Year Award. For more information go to www.familytraveller.com(link is external)
