VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2022 Puts Tourism Industry Winners Centre Stage

VisitEngland has announced the winners of its annual Awards for Excellence 2022, celebrating the best of the country's tourism industry.

The 19 Gold Award winners were announced at an evening ceremony on 8 June hosted by broadcaster and author Clare Balding at the Library of Birmingham, in categories ranging from New Tourism Business of the Year to the Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award from the Resilience and Innovation Award to the Unsung Hero Award.

Gold, Silver and Bronze winners were selected from hundreds of tourism businesses across England including hotels, self-catering accommodation, B&Bs, glamping operators, attractions, restaurants, pubs and museums.

The prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, running for more than 30 years, celebrate and champion innovation, quality and best practices across the industry recognising businesses and individuals who raise the bar of England's tourism offer.

Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston said: "Our superb tourism businesses offer something for everyone and the sector is one we can be proud of. It is fantastic to see so many hardworking businesses of all sizes recognised for their gold-standard contribution to English tourism and I congratulate all the winners."

VisitEngland Advisory Board Chair Nick de Bois said: “It is wonderful to see the Awards event back in-person, giving us the opportunity to come together, celebrate and congratulate the best-of-the-best across England's world-class tourism industry.

“From an accessible and inclusive sailing school to a family run rural glamping site and an immersive living museum, these awards highlight the outstanding quality, the innovation and the customer service excellence across our industry. All these businesses are winners in every sense.

“Millions of jobs and local economies depend on tourism and this year's awards also highlight the dedication of tourism businesses as they rebuild, championing best practice and providing visitors with first-class experiences.”

Winners were announced in the Awards' 15 'core' categories as well as for four special awards, including 'Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award', 'Travel Content Award', 'TXGB Trailblazer Award' and the 'Tourism Superstar Award'.

The Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award went to 'The English Period Drama' and the film locations used in these shows, in recognition of its valuable role in boosting domestic and inbound tourism to England.

The Tourism Superstar Award, run with the Daily Mirror, was awarded to George Finlay of Matlock Farm Park following a public vote and competition earlier this year.

The Travel Content Award, recognising the media's important contribution in championing domestic tourism, was won by Ben Lerwill of National Geographic Traveller with his story 'Pirates and prehistory on Devon's southeast coast'.

The TXGB Trail Blazer Award went to the Rugby League World Cup 2021, in recognition of the event's success in driving inbound bookings through the business-to-business platform, also benefitting the domestic market.

The Caravan and Motorhome Club was the headline sponsor of this year's Awards, also sponsoring the 'Experience of the Year' category.  Barclays sponsored the 'Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award' and Sykes Holiday Cottages the 'Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year' category. The Family Holiday Charity was 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.

VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2022 Winners:

Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award - sponsored by Barclays

Gold - Mylor Sailing & Powerboat School, Cornwall

Silver - Alton Towers Resort, Staffordshire

Bronze - Fleetwood Beach Wheelchairs, Lancashire

B&B and Guest House of the Year

Gold - The 25 Boutique B&B, Devon

Silver - Horseshoe Cottage Farm, Leicestershire

Bronze - Brightham House Boutique Bed and Breakfast, Devon

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year

Gold - Secret Meadows, Suffolk

Silver - Brook Meadow, Leicestershire

Bronze - Landal Sandybrook, Derbyshire

​​​​​​​Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award

Gold - Chichester Festival Theatre, West Sussex

Silver - Pure Outdoor, Derbyshire

Bronze - West Bay Discovery Centre, Dorset

​​​​​​​Experience of the Year – sponsored by the Caravan and Motorhome Club

Gold - Mylor Sailing & Powerboat School, Cornwall

Silver - Pure Outdoor, Derbyshire 

Bronze - All Hallows' Farmhouse Cookery School, Dorset

​​​​​​​Large Hotel of the Year

Gold - The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, Bath

Silver - Hotel Indigo Durham, County Durham

Bronze - The Langham, London

​​​​​​​Small Hotel of the Year

Gold - Seaham Hall, County Durham

Joint Silver - No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath

Joint Silver - The Idle Rocks, Cornwall

​​​​​​​New Tourism Business of the Year

Gold - Three Mile Beach, Cornwall

Silver - Triple A Food Tours, Tyne & Wear

Bronze - Rowley Farm Holidays, Worcestershire

​​​​​​​Pub of the Year

Gold - The Cotley Inn, Somerset

Silver - The Acorn Inn, Dorset

Bronze - The Devonshire Arms at Pilsley, Derbyshire

​​​​​​​Resilience and Innovation Award

Gold - Black Country Living Museum, West Midlands

Silver - Chester Zoo, Cheshire

Bronze - Severn Valley Railway, Worcestershire

​​​​​​​Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year – sponsored by Sykes Holiday Cottages

Gold - Treeopia, Worcestershire

Silver - Glynn Barton, Cornwall

Bronze - Pitt Farm Holiday Cottages, Devon

​​​​​​​Taste of England Award

Gold - Lu Ban Restaurant, Merseyside

Silver - Moor Hall Restaurant with Rooms, Lancashire

Bronze - Fischer's Baslow Hall, Derbyshire

​​​​​​​Unsung Hero Award

Gold - Adam Wardale, Middletons Hotel, North Yorkshire

Silver - Neeshal Jeewon, Hilton London Metropole, London

Bronze - Clive Goodwin, Ouseburn Trust, Tyne & Wear

​​​​​​​Large Visitor Attraction of the Year

Gold - Chester Zoo, Cheshire

Silver - Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire

Bronze - Pensthorpe, Norfolk

​​​​​​​Small Visitor Attraction of the Year

Gold - Nothe Fort, Dorset

Silver - Royal Liver Building 360, Merseyside

Bronze - British Music Experience, Merseyside

​​​​​​​Travel Content Award

Gold - Ben Lerwill, National Geographic Traveller: 'Pirates and prehistory on Devon's southeast coast'

Silver - Cathy Toogood, The Telegraph: 'Forget the countryside – this Northern powerhouse is the perfect place for summer staycations'

Bronze - Lauren Jarvis, LoveExploring: 'Explore the New Forest'

​​​​​​​TXGB Trailblazer Award

Gold – Rugby League World Cup 2021

Silver – Visit Gloucester

Bronze – Mike James, Savouring Bath

​​​​​​​Tourism Superstar 2022

Winner - George Finlay, Matlock Farm Park

​​​​​​​Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award

Winner - The English Period Drama