East Midlands’ Tourism Awards set to be celebrated at joint Derbyshire-Nottinghamshire ceremony next spring

It has been announced that the winners of the Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby Tourism Awards and the Nottinghamshire Tourism Awards will be revealed at a glittering joint awards ceremony held at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham on 20 March 2025.

The region’s two Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) – Visit Nottinghamshire and Visit Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby – are joining forces to deliver the awards ceremony in partnership for the first time, to celebrate excellence and outstanding achievement across the tourism sector and give local businesses an opportunity to share their success stories, generate valuable publicity and reach new customers.

From B&Bs and visitor attractions to hotels, campsites and unique experiences, the diverse award categories reflect the breadth of the region’s tourism landscape.

The awards are held in partnership with VisitEngland and Gold winners will have the opportunity to progress onto the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2025, which represent the highest accolades in English tourism

The awards ceremony is supported by the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) to celebrate the success of local tourism businesses whilst highlighting the sector’s vital £5.25BN of economic impact contribution to the East Midlands’ economy.

The evening will bring together 500 guests from across the region’s tourism, leisure, culture and hospitality industries, including shortlisted businesses from 30 overall awards categories plus local MPs, partners and stakeholders.

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said:

“One of my priorities is to boost tourism and celebrate our region’s heritage, vibrancy, culture and natural beauty through my Visit East Midlands campaign. This joint awards ceremony is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate excellence in all aspects of tourism across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, and I’m delighted to host and support these awards.”

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, said:

“We’re excited to be joining forces with our LVEP partners in Nottinghamshire to deliver a glittering joint awards ceremony celebrating the very best of tourism in the East Midlands next spring.

“The Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby Tourism Awards are a celebration of the passionate, hardworking and innovative businesses who continually raise the bar of our world-class tourism offer. Not only do these awards showcase the sheer quality of our tourism products, but they also highlight the value of our visitor economy and the important role the industry plays in driving growth, creating jobs, and making the region such a great place to live, work and visit.

“The visitor economy is a vital yet often underappreciated asset of the East Midlands, and this event will help us harness the industry’s full potential so we can truly start to punch above our weight”.

Megan Powell Vreeswijk, CEO of Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire including Visit Nottinghamshire, said:

“We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Visit Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby for this landmark joint awards ceremony. Bringing together two of the East Midlands’ key tourism regions under one roof allows us to shine an even brighter spotlight on the incredible businesses that make our visitor economy thrive. This collaboration not only showcases the exceptional talent and innovation across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire but also highlights the £5.25bn contribution tourism makes to the wider East Midlands economy. We look forward to celebrating the success stories of our local businesses and offering them a platform to gain national recognition through the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence. It's an exciting time for tourism in our region, and with the support from Mayor Claire, this event will truly demonstrate the power of partnership in driving growth and excellence.”

VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said:

“It’s great to see these two amazing Awards come together, ramping up the impact and value of entering for tourism businesses in Nottinghamshire, Peak District and Derbyshire. These areas have truly outstanding national winners, and we look forward to welcoming the regional award winners to the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence in 2025. I wish all of those who enter the very best of luck.”

The 2025 Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby Tourism Awards are sponsored by EV charging specialists VoltShare and Derbyshire-based C W Sellors Fine Jewellery & Luxury Watches, who will be designing and handcrafting luxury bespoke awards for all Gold winners. The Awards Ceremony is sponsored by Nottingham Venues.

For more details on the Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby Tourism Awards please visit: www.visitpeakdistrict.com/industry/events/category/tourism-awards.

For more details on the Nottinghamshire Tourism Awards please visit (applications open until 28^th October 2024:

www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk/nottinghamshire-tourism-awards.

ENDS
For press enquiries, please contact Amy Noton at 07387 141590, amy.noton@visitpeakdistrict.com

Kinga Kapias at 07701 311786 kinga.kapias@visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk

Notes to editors

About Visit Peak District & Derbyshire
Visit Peak District & Derbyshire’s mission is to develop and grow a successful and sustainable tourism economy, working closely with a wide range of partners to make the Peak District and Derbyshire the destination of choice – regionally, nationally and globally.
Visit Peak District & Derbyshire is the lead partner of the Visit Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP), in collaboration with Visit Derby. The LVEP is the strategic lead for the local visitor economy, working closely with national tourist body VisitEngland on a set of shared priorities to deliver sustainable and inclusive visitor economy growth.
For more information visit www.visitpeakdistrict.com/industry
Inspiration on things to do and where to stay in the Peak District and Derbyshire is available at www.visitpeakdistrict.com

About Visit Derby
Visit Derby‘s mission is to develop and improve as a sustainable, competitive visitor destination based on a growing reputation for providing a quality experience across all aspects of the visitor journey.
For the latest industry information see www.visitderby.co.uk/derby-tourism-industry
For inspiration about what to see and do in Derby and where to stay see www.visitderby.co.uk

About Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and Visit Nottinghamshire
Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (MNN) is the official Place Marketing Organisation (PMO) for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The organisation is responsible for growing the local economy through encouraging inward investment, attracting business and leisure visitors, talent attraction and aligning with the local business community. Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire is made up of four departments: Visit Nottinghamshire (including Nottingham Tourism Centre), Meet in Nottingham, Invest in Nottingham and Nottingham Partners.

For more information about MNN see: https://marketingnottingham.uk/

Visit Nottinghamshire is the division of Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire responsible for driving leisure and business visitors to the city and county, raising the profile of the region and developing a sustainable and accessible destination strategy.
For ideas and inspiration on things to do, places to see and stay see: https://www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk/

About East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA)

East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) was established in Spring 2024, following a £1.14 billion devolution deal with Government. EMCCA, which covers Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Nottingham, is led by Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, with powers devolved from Government to make regional decisions around transport, housing, skills and adult education and net zero. More info here  Home - East Midlands Combined County Authority (eastmidlands-cca.gov.uk)