The best holiday experiences across England have been identified at a tourism awards ceremony.
From the best hotels to the best new experiences, the VisitEngland awards celebrated holidays across the country just as the industry tries to rebuild after pandemic lockdowns.
VisitEngland gave a special nod to English period dramas, giving them the Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award in recognition of their role in inspiring people to visit locations, such as Highclere Castle, Hampshire, which featured in hit TV series Downton Abbey.
A powerboat school in Mylor, Cornwall, was named experience of the year.
Three Mile Beach, also in Cornwall, the Black Country Living Museum, in the West Midlands, and Chester Zoo, Cheshire, were also honoured for the high level the experiences they offer.
Treeopia, in Worcestershire, and the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, Bath, were recognised as top places to stay.
“All these businesses are winners in every sense,” said VisitEngland advisory board chairman Nick de Bois.
“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.”
The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, running for more than 30 years, celebrate and champion innovation, quality and best practice in tourism.
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 VisitEngland award winners 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
Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award
- Winner — The English Period Drama
