Businesses from across the East of England are being encouraged to enter the East of England Tourism Awards 2023-2024 to let the region know about their fantastic achievements over the past year.
There is a range of categories to suit all types of businesses, from large attractions to family-run guest houses, and the public is also encouraged to submit their nominations for tourist spots that they love.
Here, we learn more about three of the categories at this year’s Tourism Awards, and discover what last year’s winners felt about winning.
Small Hotel of the Year
The title of Small Hotel of the Year will go to a small to medium serviced accommodation business that offers a fantastic welcome, memorable guest experience and the highest standards in everything it does.
This is a broad category for all types and styles of serviced accommodation, though there are separate categories for large hotels, B&Bs and guest houses.
Entrants should provide details of their unique selling points, strengths and business ethos as well as how they have responded to customer feedback and their future growth strategy.
The Crown and Castle in Orford, Suffolk, was last year’s Small Hotel of the Year. When asked how it felt to win at the award ceremony, owner David Scott said: “It’s an amazing achievement for our wonderful team. The last few years haven’t been without challenge, but we have kept pushing forwards and continued with our philosophy of offering fantastic hospitality to our guests in this wonderful part of the county.”
Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
The East of England’s small tourist attractions are a draw for both locals and visitors and the Small Visitor Attraction of the Year award recognises those businesses that leave visitors with lasting memories and excel in customer service.
To be eligible for entry a business must be open to the public for an established period each year and should be attracting 75,000 visitors or fewer per year or employing 10 or fewer full-time equivalent members of staff.
The judges will be looking for small attractions that offer a consistently brilliant visitor experience – whatever type of attraction they may be. Entrants should demonstrate their recent achievements and improvements as well as their plans for future development.
Last year’s winner was Watatunga Wildlife Reserve near King’s Lynn in Norfolk. When asked about the win at the award ceremony, founder Edward Pope said: “Our team always go the extra mile – they put so much effort into making sure that everyone has a fantastic time with us, whether on tour or on a safari stay.
“This award and the recognition it brings makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
B&B and Guest House of the Year
The B&B and Guest House of the Year award recognises bed and breakfast and guest house businesses providing truly memorable guest experiences and demonstrating excellence across every aspect of the business.
Businesses that are run from the proprietor’s home or at a separate site are eligible to enter and it is likely that entrants in this category will have direct interaction with their guests, so evidence of excellent customer service is key.
A strong team and implementation of customer feedback will be important when discussing the business’ strength, as will consideration and management of its impact on the environment and collaboration with the local community.
Dairy Barns Bed & Breakfast in Hickling, Norfolk, won the gold at last year’s awards. Co-owner Hannah Deane said it felt “amazing to win against such strong competition,” and added that “it also reflects the great hospitality offered to our guests by our small, dedicated team.”
Co-owner Ian Deane said: “Our vision is to continue to remain passionate and enthusiastic about our business, whilst always looking at ways to improve the guests experience to keep people returning.”
The deadline for entries to the East of England Tourism Awards 2023-2024 is Sunday, September 17, 2023. To find out more about all categories and submit an entry or nomination, visit tourismawards.co.uk
To find out more about the categories, please click here.
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