The Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Awards 2022 - it's time to enter!

We couldn't be more excited to announce that nominations are now open for the 2022 Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Awards – returning for the first time after the pandemic. They are an incredible opportunity for businesses working within the visitor economy - you guys - to be recognised and be put forward at a national level through the Visit England Awards 2023.

For the first time since 2020, the awards are back, launching in partnership with fellow headline sponsor Lincoln College and media partner Stonebow Media. What's more, this year, twelve categories have been created specifically in partnership with Visit England, with the winners of these categories also being put forward for the national Visit Britain Awards 2023.

Created to shine a light on you and your business, the Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Awards celebrate every aspect of the visitor tourism economy, to champion all of the innovation, passion, dedication, resilience and tenacity that we know you need by the bucket load to succeed in this business.

With fifteen categories to enter, covering everything from ethics and innovation to sustainability across accommodation (hotels, B&Bs, guest houses, self-catering, camping, glamping and holiday parks), food and drink, attractions (small, large and experience), new arrivals, customer service, marketing and arts and culture, there is plenty of scope for all tourism economy businesses to enter - to see all of the hard work and creativity you've embraced honoured alongside your fellow tourism businesses spanning Greater Lincolnshire.

After two years of navigating Covid restrictions, and now the continuing post-Covid recovery, this is an incredible chance to deliver some clarity around exactly how you have maintained, surpassed and succeeded expectation, not an easy feat in the wake of a global pandemic. A chance to showcase the efforts you went to to ensure your business survived, as well as what you have in store for the future.

The fifteen categories are now open for nominations, which close on July 29. Online judging will start on July 30 and mystery shopping from August 13. The awards ceremony itself will be held at the Engine Shed on October 21, and will be hosted by Lincs FM presenter, John Marshall.

Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Awards categories:

• Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award – sponsored by Visit Lincolnshire*
• Experience of the Year – sponsored by LNER*
• Hotel of the Year – sponsored by Destination Lincolnshire*
• New Tourism Business Award – sponsored by Lincoln College*
• Pub of the Year – sponsored by Heart of Lincolnshire*
• Resilience and Innovation Award – sponsored by Visit Lincolnshire*
• Self Catering Accommodation of the Year – sponsored by Stonebow Media*
• Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year – sponsored by Destination Lincolnshire*
• B&B and Guest House of the Year – sponsored by Stonebow Media*
• Taste of England (Taste Lincolnshire) – sponsored by Destination Lincolnshire*
• Small Visitor Attraction – sponsored by Lincoln College*
• Large Visitor Attraction – sponsored by Destination Lincolnshire*
• Customer Service Excellence Award – sponsored by Lincoln College
• Marketing Campaign – sponsored by LNER
• Arts, Culture and Heritage – sponsored by Duncan & Toplis

To enter and for more information visit the Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Awards website. We'll be bringing you further insight into the awards, from how to write your application and what the judges will be looking for to insights from 2020's winners.

These awards really are good news for Lincolnshire. Behind the scenes, Destination Lincolnshire has been working with Visit England to bring this award opportunity to Lincolnshire businesses for the past year. It’s not just about recognition locally, although that is really important – during Covid local people supported tourism more than ever before - but this is about elevating Lincolnshire nationally too.

The application process itself is a huge opportunity for business development too, with helpful feedback being given by judges to all those who enter. Those who are shortlisted will then be mystery shopped by an independent mystery expert, who will give genuine feedback on a business, comparing Lincolnshire businesses to our peers on a national level.