Applications open for 2026 Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby Tourism Awards

The awards celebrate excellence and outstanding achievement across the area’s £2.89 billion tourism sector and give visitor economy businesses the 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 17 award categories covering different aspects of the tourism industry.

New categories added for 2026 showcase the variety of the area’s tourism offer and include a Family Friendly Tourism Award and Dog Friendly Tourism Award.

The previous Taste of the Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby category has also been split into Restaurant of the Year and Tearoom/Café of the Year to provide businesses with even more opportunity for success.

The popular Festival or Event of the Year category, which is decided by public vote, is also set to return for 2025 and nominations will open later this year. 

The awards are organised by Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, the area’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. 

Winning an award also helps businesses to gain a marketing edge over competitors, increase staff pride, and secure high-profile media coverage across local, regional and potentially national publications.

Businesses have until 23:59 on Sunday 20th July 2025 to enter the awards. The shortlist will be revealed this autumn, and winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony next spring. 

In a further boost, winners in each of the core categories will automatically be entered into the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2026, regarded as the highest accolades in English tourism.

The full list of categories for the 2026 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
• 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)
• Restaurant of the Year NEW
• Tearoom/Café of the Year NEW
• Family Friendly Tourism Award (Local Award) NEW
• Dog Friendly Tourism Award (Local Award) NEW

Details of all the categories and how to apply are available at: www.visitpeakdistrict.com/tourism-awards

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, said: “The Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby Tourism Awards offer a fantastic opportunity for businesses to highlight their achievements, gain valuable free feedback and boost their profile.

“The awards honour the people and businesses behind our £2.89bn visitor economy and recognise the amazing customer service and memorable experiences they deliver for millions of visitors each year. 

“Entering these local awards is also the only way for businesses to qualify for the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, which would place them on the map as one of England’s very best tourism businesses. Good luck to everyone who enters!”

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.