VisitEngland announces Awards for Excellence 2022 finalists

VisitEngland has today (28 April 2022) announced the finalists who will go forward to compete for the tourism industry’s annual national Awards for Excellence, including two Visit West member hotels in Bath.

Image - Bath's Royal Crescent Hotel

Bath's Royal Crescent Hotel is a finalist in the Large Hotel of the Year category and No.15 by Guesthouse, Bath makes the final three in the Small Hotel of the Year group.

Applications to the nationally recognised awards were put forward for judging from businesses across England including hotels, self-catering accommodation providers, B&Bs, glamping operators, visitor attractions, restaurants, pubs and museums.

The 45 finalists, announced following a rigorous judging process by handpicked tourism industry experts, will now go on to compete in 15 core categories at the national awards, with the Caravan and Motorhome Club announced as headline sponsor. The awards' categories range from the ‘Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award’ to the ‘Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year’ and from the ‘Pub of the Year’ to the ‘Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award’ and ‘New Tourism Business of the Year.’ 

VisitEngland Chief Executive Patricia Yates said: “These awards celebrate the businesses and individuals in tourism across England who have delivered excellence during the last year and it is fantastic to see such an outstanding list of finalists. 

“The impressive list reflects the sheer scale of innovation, quality and experiences across England’s tourism industry and I congratulate all the finalists and wish them the very best of luck.

“Millions of jobs and local economies depend on tourism and this year’s awards are also a timely opportunity to acknowledge the determination and dedication of tourism businesses as they rebuild, and continue to champion best practice and customer service excellence, providing visitors with a stand-out experience.”

In addition to the 15 core categories, which include two new awards this year - the ‘Unsung Hero Award’ and the ‘Resilience and Innovation Award,’ special awards are also being presented including an ‘Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award,’ a ‘Travel Content Award’ and a ‘Tourism Superstar Award’.

All finalists are invited to attend the national awards ceremony being held on 8 June at the Library of Birmingham, where Gold, Silver and Bronze winners will be announced.

Image - No.15 by Guesthouse. Bath (credit Toby Mitchell)

VisitEngland Award for Excellence 2022 Finalists:

Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award

• Alton Towers Resort, Staffordshire
• Fleetwood Beach Wheelchairs, Lancashire
• Mylor Sailing & Powerboat School, Cornwall

B&B and Guest House of the Year

• Brightham House Boutique Bed and Breakfast, Devon
• Horseshoe Cottage Farm, Leicestershire
• The 25 Boutique B&B, Devon

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year

• Brook Meadow, Leicestershire
• Landal Sandybrook, Derbyshire
• Secret Meadows, Suffolk

Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award

• Chichester Festival Theatre, West Sussex
• Pure Outdoor, Derbyshire
• West Bay Discovery Centre, Dorset

Experience of the Year

• All Hallows' Farmhouse Cookery School, Dorset
• Mylor Sailing & Powerboat School, Cornwall
• Pure Outdoor, Derbyshire 

Large Hotel of the Year

• Hotel Indigo Durham, County Durham
• The Langham, London
• The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, Bath

Small Hotel of the Year

• No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath
• Seaham Hall, County Durham
• The Idle Rocks, Cornwall

New Tourism Business of the Year

• Rowley Farm Holidays, Worcestershire
• Three Mile Beach, Cornwall
• Triple A Food Tours, Tyne & Wear

Pub of the Year

• The Acorn Inn, Dorset
• The Cotley Inn, Somerset
• The Devonshire Arms at Pilsley, Derbyshire

Resilience and Innovation Award

• Black Country Living Museum, West Midlands
• Chester Zoo, Cheshire
• Severn Valley Railway, Worcestershire

Self Catering Accommodation of the Year

• Glynn Barton, Cornwall
• Pitt Farm Holiday Cottages, Devon
• Treeopia, Worcestershire

Taste of England Award

• Fischer's Baslow Hall, Derbyshire
• Lu Ban Restaurant, Merseyside
• Moor Hall Restaurant with Rooms, Lancashire

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year

• Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire
• Chester Zoo, Cheshire
• Pensthorpe, Norfolk

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year

• British Music Experience, Merseyside
• Nothe Fort, Dorset
• Royal Liver Building 360, Merseyside

Unsung Hero Award

• Clive Goodwin, Ouseburn Trust, Tyne & Wear
• Neeshal Jewson, Hilton London Metropole, London
• Adam Wardale, Middletons Hotel, North Yorkshire

Travel Content Award

• Cathy Toogood, The Telegraph: ‘Forget the countryside – this Northern powerhouse is the perfect place for summer staycations’
• Ben Lerwill, National Geographic Traveller: ‘Pirates and prehistory on Devon’s southeast coast’
• Lauren Jarvis, LoveExploring: ‘Explore the New Forest’

The Caravan and Motorhome Club, as well as being the headline sponsor of the national awards this year, is also sponsoring the ‘Experience of the Year’ category. Barclays is announced as sponsor of the ‘Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award’ and, as announced previously, Sykes Holiday Cottages is sponsoring the ‘Self Catering Accommodation of the Year’ category. The Family Holiday Charity is the chosen charity for this year’s awards event.

Tourism is one of England’s largest and most valuable industries, supporting hundreds of thousands of businesses, employing about 2.6 million people and, in 2019, generating £76 billion in domestic visitor spending.