Visitor economy businesses in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire are being encouraged to share their successes by applying for a prestigious awards ceremony.
Applications for the 2025 Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby Tourism Awards are now open. The awards celebrate excellence and outstanding achievement across the area’s £2.5 billion tourism sector and give local businesses an opportunity to share their success stories, generate valuable publicity and reach new customers.
Attractions, pubs, restaurants, hotels, B&Bs, campsites and experience providers are amongst those encouraged to enter in one or more of 14 awards categories covering different aspects of the tourism industry.
The awards are organised by Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, the region’s accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) in collaboration with Visit Derby, and are held in partnership with the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.
Judged by an independent panel of industry experts, the awards process itself provides businesses with the unique opportunity to develop and improve their offer through valuable feedback and insights.
Success at the awards also helps businesses to gain a marketing edge over competitors, increase staff pride and motivation, and secure high-profile media coverage across local, regional and potentially national publications.
Businesses have until 23:59 on Monday 26th August 2024 to enter the awards. The shortlist will be revealed this autumn and winners will be announced at an awards ceremony next spring.
Winners in most categories will automatically be entered into the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2025, giving them the chance to emulate the success of recent national competition finalists Wildhive Callow Hall, Pure Outdoor, Darwin Forest Lodges and Hoe Grange Holidays, who this year won Gold at national level.
The full list of categories for the 2025 Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby Tourism Awards are:
- B&B and Guest House of the Year
- Hotel of the Year
- Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year
- Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year
- Visitor Attraction of the Year
- Pub of the Year
- Experience of the Year
- New Tourism Business of the Year
- Taste of the Peak District & Derbyshire Award
- Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award
- Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award
- Unsung Hero Award
- Team of the Year (Local Award)
- Tourism Young Achiever (Local Award)
Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, says: “The Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby Tourism Awards are a celebration of our tourism industry and provide a high-profile opportunity for businesses to showcase their successes, achievements and commitment to quality and excellence.
“Tourism plays a vital role in making the Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby such a great place to live, work and visit, and these awards offer the chance for businesses to gather valuable feedback and insights on how they can continue to grow for the future.
“Entering the local awards is also the only way for businesses to qualify for the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, unlocking valuable PR opportunities and earning recognition that places them on the map as one of England’s finest tourism businesses.”
The Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby Tourism Awards are free to enter for members of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire and Visit Derby. Non-members can enter at a fee of £150 plus VAT per category.
Entrants must be based in Derbyshire, the city of Derby, or within the Peak District National Park boundary, and must be part of the visitor economy.
Details of all the categories and how to apply are available at: www.visitpeakdistrict.com/tourism-awards
