Award Categories

For your information:

• We may merge or split categories depending on entries.
• We also reserve the right to move an entry into a different category should we consider it a better fit, however we will consult with you before doing this.
• Entries will only be accepted from businesses that meet current legal and licensing requirements. The judges reserve the right to decline an entry if in their opinion this cannot be confirmed.
• Individual eligibility criteria for each category are outlined at the start of each entry form.
• Businesses that serve food must have a minimum food hygiene rating of four out of five (five out of five for the Restaurant and Cafe and Tearoom categories).  We reserve the right to refuse an application if this minimum requirement is not met at any point prior to the awards ceremony. An exception is made for new businesses that have not yet been graded.
• Businesses that have been trading for at least three months and up to two years when applications open are strongly recommended to apply to the New Tourism Business of the Year category before considering applying to any other categories.
• If your business has been open/trading for less than three months at 1st April 2026, you will need to wait until next year to submit your entries.
• Winners in categories marked VE may be selected to represent the area in the national VisitEngland Awards. You will see in brackets that some categories in the Visit England Awards are merged together.

All entries must be submitted via the online portal here, entry forms will not be accepted via email or any other format.