Tourism businesses in the North East are being encouraged to enter the new-look North East England Tourism Awards as applications open today (Thursday 6 June).
The North East England Tourism Awards celebrate quality, innovation and best practice throughout the region, highlighting the North East’s exciting visitor offering.
The format of the Awards has been tweaked so that they now align more closely with the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, which last year celebrated their 30th year. To mark this, VisitEngland launched the revamped Awards to reflect innovations across England’s tourism industry.
The revamped awards will see new application forms and a different judging system, with a greater focus on experiencing the North East tourism industry first-hand. New categories introduced for tourism businesses to enter include Experience of the Year, International Tourism Award and New Tourism Business Award.
Sarah Stewart, chief executive of destination management and marketing agency NewcastleGateshead Initiative, said: “The North East England Tourism Awards are a great way for us to celebrate the success of our tourism sector and give local businesses the opportunity to showcase the region on a national stage. The refreshed format aligns the Awards more closely with the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence and reflects changes in the industry, such as the impact of digital technology, demand for experienced-based travel and the need to tailor tourism products for international visitors.
“We’re encouraging all tourism businesses in the North East, from hotels and pubs, to restaurants and attractions, to seize the opportunity and enter the new-look North East England Tourism Awards. Tourism continues to be the fourth largest sector in the North East economy and the Awards help us recognise the important contribution it makes to the region.”
It has been confirmed that Bidfood will continue its support for the Awards as event sponsors for 2020.
Jane Stewart, General Manager of Bidfood North East, said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring the North East England Tourism Awards again. Due to the new format of the Awards, even more fantastic tourism and hospitality businesses from across the region have the chance to be recognised.
“We’re looking forward to celebrating those organisations that go above and beyond to deliver the best possible experience to those visiting the region.”
Applications for the North East England Tourism Awards will close on 9am on Monday 7th October 2019 with the Awards ceremony taking place on Tuesday 24th March 2020. Eligible winners of certain categories will be automatically put forward to the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2020.
More information can be found at www.NorthEastTourismAwards.com.
The Awards are supported by the North East Tourism Alliance – a collaboration of the region’s tourism bodies who work together on projects that will benefit the tourism industry across the region. The founding members of the alliance are NewcastleGateshead Initiative, Northumberland Tourism, Visit County Durham, and The North East Hotels Association. The North East England Tourism Awards are also supported by South Tyneside Council and North Tyneside Council.