Some of the best holidays in England have been picked out by the country's official tourist board to show off the best places to stay and to visit.
The VisitEngland awards celebrate the most beautiful — and unusual — holiday hot spots, as the group shines a spotlight on the country's outstanding tourism offerings.
A beach, history museum and zoo are among VisitEngland's winners.
The Black Country Living Museum, in the West Midlands, brings to life the region's industrial revolution.
Bringing holidays into the 21st century is a powerboat school near Falmouth, Cornwall, where you can rev engines and later enjoy the tranquillity of the south-west coast.
Some of the country’s most recognisable hotels and most luxurious camp sites are also listed.
“Millions of jobs and local economies depend on tourism and the awards also recognise the determination and dedication of businesses and destinations across England’s tourism industry as they rebuild and continue to champion best practice and customer service excellence,” said VisitEngland director Andrew Stokes.
VisitEngland has short-listed the holidays in its Awards for Excellence. There are 15 core categories, including two new awards for Unsung Hero and the Resilience and Innovation award. Winners will be announced at a ceremony in Birmingham on Wednesday.
The awards are:
Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award
- 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
- 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
- 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 south-east 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
- Winner — The English Period Drama
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ogram%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Karim%20Kouatly%20and%20Shafiq%20Khartabil%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20On-demand%20staffing%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2050%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMore%20than%20%244%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20round%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%2C%20Aditum%20and%20Oraseya%20Capital%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WHAT%20ARE%20THE%20PRODUCTS%20WITHIN%20THE%20THREE%20MAJOR%20CATEGORIES%3F
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAdvanced%20materials%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20specifically%20engineered%20to%20exhibit%20novel%20or%20enhanced%20properties%2C%20that%20confer%20superior%20performance%20relative%20to%20conventional%20materials%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAdvanced%20components%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20includes%20semiconductor%20components%2C%20such%20as%20microprocessors%20and%20other%20computer%20chips%2C%20and%20computer%20vision%20components%20such%20as%20lenses%20and%20image%20sensors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAdvanced%20products%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20includes%20personal%20electronics%2C%20smart%20home%20devices%20and%20space%20technologies%2C%20along%20with%20industry-enabling%20products%20such%20as%20robots%2C%203D%20printing%20equipment%20and%20exoskeletons%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%20Strategy%26amp%3B%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Neo%20Mobility%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20February%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abhishek%20Shah%20and%20Anish%20Garg%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Logistics%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Delta%20Corp%2C%20Pyse%20Sustainability%20Fund%2C%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Small%20Things%20Like%20These
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Tim%20Mielants%3Cbr%3ECast%3A%20Cillian%20Murphy%2C%20Emily%20Watson%2C%20Eileen%20Walsh%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THURSDAY'S FIXTURES
4pm Maratha Arabians v Northern Warriors
6.15pm Deccan Gladiators v Pune Devils
8.30pm Delhi Bulls v Bangla Tigers
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
De De Pyaar De
Produced: Luv Films, YRF Films
Directed: Akiv Ali
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Rakul Preet Singh, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jaaved Jaffrey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg
Roma 4
Milner (15' OG), Dzeko (52'), Nainggolan (86', 90 4')
Liverpool 2
Mane (9'), Wijnaldum (25')
DUNE%3A%20PART%20TWO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Denis%20Villeneuve%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Timothee%20Chamalet%2C%20Zendaya%2C%20Austin%20Butler%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
AIDA%20RETURNS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarol%20Mansour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAida%20Abboud%2C%20Carol%20Mansour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5.%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mobile phone packages comparison
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A