VisitEngland announces venue and date of Awards for Excellence 2025

VisitEngland has announced that this year’s VisitEngland Awards for Excellence will be held at the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange on 4 June.

The 35^th national awards will see finalists from 21 regional competitions recognised as Gold, Silver and Bronze winners across 16 core categories. Award categories range from the ‘Experience of the Year’ to the ‘Taste of England Award’ and from the ‘Small Visitor Attraction of the Year’ to the ‘New Tourism Business of the Year’.

VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said:

“This wonderful heritage venue with its rich association to arts and culture in one of England’s tourism gems, Brighton, is an ideal destination to celebrate our outstanding industry.

“The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence shine the spotlight on England’s world-class tourism offer and the creativity and innovation thriving within the industry. The awards also honour the people and businesses and the amazing customer service they deliver, creating unforgettable experiences for visitors.”

Chair of East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and West Sussex interim LVEP Board Hedley Swain said:

“We are absolutely delighted that Brighton & Hove has been chosen to host the 2025 VisitEngland Awards for Excellence. This prestigious event is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our vibrant city and all that Sussex has to offer, building on our aspirations in our recently launched Sussex Visitor Economy Strategy for Growth. We look forward to welcoming attendees and hope they take the time to extend their stay, exploring our stunning coastline, rich heritage, and outstanding hospitality.”

There were more than 1830 applications from the 21 aligned regional competitions with the winners then automatically entered into the national awards. 

In the lead up to the Awards in June, VisitEngland will announce the three finalists for each category.

In addition to the 16 core categories, special awards are also being presented including the ‘Travel Content Award’ and the ‘Tourism Superstar Award’.

Tourism is one of England’s largest, most valuable industries, supporting more than 200,000 businesses, employing 2.6 million people and generating about £71.6 billion in domestic visitor spending.

Core Categories:

1. Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award
2. B&B and Guest House of the Year
3. Business Events Venue of the Year
4. Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year
5. Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award
6. Experience of the Year
7. Small Hotel of the Year
8. Large Hotel of the Year
9. International Tourism Award
10. New Tourism Business of the Year
11. Pub of the Year
12. Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year
13. Taste of England Award
14. Unsung Hero Award
15. Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
16. Large Visitor Attraction of the Year

The 21 local and regional competitions aligned with the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2025 are:

1. Beautiful South Tourism Awards
2. Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards
3. Cornwall Tourism Awards
4. Cumbria Tourism Awards
5. Devon Tourism Awards
6. Dorset Tourism Awards
7. Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland Tourism Awards
8. Lancashire Tourism Awards
9. Leicestershire Promotions Tourism and Hospitality Awards 
10. Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards
11. Marketing Cheshire Tourism Awards
12. North East England Tourism Awards
13. Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby Tourism Awards 
14. Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism Awards (REYTAs)
15. South West Tourism Excellence Awards
16. Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Tourism Awards
17. Suffolk and Norfolk Tourism Awards
18. Visit Herefordshire Tourism Awards
19. Visit York Tourism Awards 
20. Visit Worcestershire Tourism Awards
21. West Midlands Tourism Awards