News
Finalists announced for Heart of England Tourism Oscars
With judging complete, finalists have now been announced for this year's Heart of England Excellence in Tourism Awards. Winners will be presented with their awards at a gala dinner and ceremony on 11 November at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham.
Competition for the ‘Tourism Oscars', which are presented on an annual basis to celebrate the quality of tourism across the region, has been the most competitive to date. Judges have reported that accommodation, attractions, destinations and information centres have all significantly raised their game, demonstrating a very high standard of visitor experience, customer service and dedication to tourism in the West Midlands.
Tourism organisations are represented across the region with finalists coming from Birmingham (4), Black Country (5), Herefordshire (12), Staffordshire (5), Shropshire (12), Warwickshire (7) and Worcestershire (6).
Gold, silver and commended winners across the 15 main award categories will be revealed at the gala dinner and award ceremony at the ICC on 11 November and each gold winner will automatically go through to the national awards, the highest accolade in English tourism, coordinated by Enjoy England, the national tourism agency.
Advantage West Midlands will present four additional awards in the fields of culture, business tourism, festivals & events and food & drink. There will also be three awards voted for by the general public - 'Best Cultural Experience' sponsored by The Birmingham Post, 'My Favourite Day Out' sponsored by Birmingham Mail/Coventry Telegraph/Sunday Mercury and 'My Favourite Place' sponsored by ITV Central.
The awards are supported by Regional Development Agency, Advantage West Midlands, through Tourism West Midlands (TWM) – the strategic tourism board. TWM Chairman, Brian Summers, said, "This year's gala dinner and awards ceremony will be the highlight of the region's tourism calendar with a fresh look and local celebrity hosts - Heart FM DJ Ed James and Jo Malin from the ITV Central News team." He added, "The evening is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the very best in tourism and an industry that contributes £6 billion a year to the West Midland's economy."
Tickets for the gala dinner and cermony are available. Ticket price has been maintained at last year's rate of £60.