New Visit East Midlands tourism awards to celebrate the region’s best visitor experiences

15 June 2026 9

Credit: Onclusive News

Businesses across the East Midlands are encouraged to enter the Visit East Midlands Tourism Awards, which brings together two established tourism awards programmes under a single East Midlands identity, celebrating the people and organisations which make the region a great place to visit.

Applications for the Visit East Midlands Tourism Awards open on 15th June, with winners announced at a regional awards ceremony in March 2027.

The awards will recognise excellence across tourism, hospitality, accommodation, attractions, food and drink, experiences and accessible tourism. They are part of a new regional approach to promoting the East Midlands as a destination and celebrating the businesses and individuals who help visitors enjoy everything the region has to offer.

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward said: “The East Midlands has an incredible tourism offer, from our vibrant cities and market towns to our heritage, culture and stunning landscapes. The businesses and people working in the visitor economy make a huge contribution to our region and deserve to be recognised for the role they play in attracting visitors and supporting local jobs.

“Tourism brings investment into our communities, supports businesses of all sizes and helps create places where people want to live, work and visit. These awards will help shine a spotlight on the outstanding businesses that are driving the visitor economy forward and contributing to the region’s growth.”

The Visit East Midlands Tourism Awards are the first to bring the region’s tourism awards together under a single East Midlands banner.

Working alongside the East Midlands’ accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnerships – Visit Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby and Visit Nottinghamshire – the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) is supporting a joined-up approach to raise the profile of tourism businesses across the region and showcase their achievements on a larger stage.

The new programme will include one regional awards event, helping to highlight the quality and variety of visitor experiences available across the East Midlands.

Mayor Claire said: “Bringing our tourism awards together under one East Midlands banner is an important step forward.”

Tourism attracts about 76 million visits to the East Midlands each year, supporting businesses and communities from bustling city centres to rural destinations.

From city attractions and cultural venues to independent cafés, restaurants, hotels and countryside destinations, visitors contribute to communities across the region and help support local businesses.

The Visit East Midlands Tourism Awards will celebrate the people, businesses and organisations that help create memorable experiences for visitors while showcasing the breadth and quality of the region’s tourism offer.

Megan Powell Vreeswijk, chief executive officer of Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire including Visit Nottinghamshire, said: “The launch of the Visit East Midlands Tourism Awards represents an exciting opportunity to strengthen collaboration across the region while continuing to celebrate the unique strengths of our individual destinations. |

“As part of this new approach, the Nottinghamshire awards will evolve to become the Visit East Midlands Tourism Awards – Nottinghamshire, providing a stronger regional identity, while maintaining a dedicated platform to recognise excellence across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

“Importantly, the awards will continue to operate independently at a local level, ensuring businesses from across our city and county can gain recognition for their achievements and progress through to the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.

“Tourism is a vital part of Nottinghamshire’s economy, contributing £2.53 billion annually and supporting more than 22,500 jobs. Nottinghamshire is known for producing national finalists and winners and we look forward to continuing to champion the outstanding tourism, hospitality and visitor economy businesses that help make our destination such a special place to visit.”

Jo Dilley, Visit Peak District & Derbyshire managing director, said: “The Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby Tourism Awards have a proud track record of recognising and celebrating the businesses, organisations and individuals that make our destination such a special place to visit. The new Visit East Midlands Tourism Awards – Derbyshire build on that success, ensuring Derbyshire continues to have its own dedicated awards programme while benefiting from greater regional visibility and collaboration.

“Our visitor economy is home to world-class accommodation providers, attractions, restaurants, experiences and tourism professionals. These awards are an opportunity to showcase that excellence, celebrate achievement and inspire businesses to continue raising standards for visitors. We encourage businesses of all sizes to enter and take advantage of the recognition, profile and opportunities that the awards can bring.”

Businesses taking part will also have the chance to progress to the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, providing further recognition for outstanding tourism businesses from across the East Midlands.

Further information about award categories, eligibility criteria and how to enter will be available from 15 June 2026.

Written by: Jon Ball