Northumberland tourism businesses urged to enter prestigious regional awards
With just over a month to go until entries close for the North East England Tourism Awards, businesses are being encouraged to enter before its too late.
Visitor economy businesses in Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne & Wear and the Tees Valley can submit their entries before the deadline on July 27 at 5pm.
The entry process is straight forward with an online application form assessed by a panel of experts.
Judges will assess how well the standard questions are answered as well as reviewing the business’ online presence and how well they respond to feedback on popular review sites like Tripadvisor. From there, a shortlist of finalists will be revealed.
Businesses then face a rigorous second round of judging, conducted by a leading customer experience agency who make either pre-announced or ‘mystery shopper’ visits.
Final scores and detailed feedback are then collated before a glamourous ceremony takes place in Spring 2027.
A further set of categories designed exclusively for North East England will also soon open for entries.
The awards are organised by Experience North East England alongside Visit Northumberland, Visit NewcastleGateshead, Visit County Durham, Visit Tees Valley and all seven local authorities that come under the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority.
Ian Thomas, interim Chief Executive of Experience North East England said: “We’re home to some of the country’s finest tourism and hospitality assets.
"Our recent success at the national awards and the high number of entries our awards programme receives demonstrates the sheer volume of quality businesses we have here."
Elain Meenaghan, from The Tempus, near Alnwick, who won gold for Small Hotel of the Year at both the regional and national awards, said: "Winning gold at the North East England Tourism Award has been an incredible achievement.”
"As a relatively new business, it was fantastic recognition for the hard work and dedication of our entire team, giving us confidence that we're making a real impact and moving in the right direction.
“I would encourage any business considering entering the awards to go for it. Don't assume you're too small or too new. The process is worthwhile in itself, and the recognition can have a hugely positive impact on both your business and your team."