Marketing Lancashire launches 2021 tourism awards

Marketing Lancashire has launched the Lancashire Tourism Awards 2021 competition after last year's competition was cancelled due to the pandemic.

The awards programme is once again aligned with Visit England’s national awards, with the majority of Lancashire winners then having the opportunity to go head-to-head with winners from every other English destination, at the national finals.

Lancashire's only dedicated tourism and hospitality awards, the awards are open to all tourism and hospitality businesses fitting the required criteria in each category. Nineteen awards are now open for entries, including two new awards that acknowledge the character, resilience and invention shown by the sector throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

The new award categories are: The Resilience and Innovation Award, rewarding a business that has redefined itself during the pandemic and The Unsung Hero Award, highlighting those individuals who have helped create unique and memorable experiences for visitors, through their sometimes unseen or unsung activities or actions. This replaces the Tourism Superstar category.

Rachel McQueen, chief executive of Marketing Lancashire, said: "The Lancashire Tourism Awards 2021 will be a very special event for the sector and for Marketing Lancashire. We have never been prouder of our partners and the county’s tourism and hospitality businesses, than we have over the last seventeen months or so.

"Facing the challenges, uncertainty and genuine hardship brought by the pandemic, the sector has shown remarkable resilience, proved its ability to redefine itself and has adapted to some of the most testing restrictions on ‘normal’ operations seen in most lifetimes."

The categories now open for application are:

• Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award *
• Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year *
• Cultural Venue / Organisation of the Year
• Dog Friendly Business of the Year
• Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award *
• Experience of the Year *
• Large Hotel of the Year *
• Perfect Stay *
• New Tourism Business Award *
• Lancashire Pub of the Year *
• Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year *
• Producer of the Year
• Café & Tearoom of the Year
• Restaurant of the Year *
• Large Visitor Attraction of the Year *
• Small Visitor Attraction of the Year *
• Wedding Venue of the Year
• Resilience and Innovation Award *
• Unsung Hero Award *

* The winners of these categories will have the opportunity to represent Lancashire in the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence Awards 2022 competition - subject to meeting criteria.

Information and criteria for each category, as well as the online application forms are now available at http://www.lancashiretourismawards.com/

To assist first time applicants or those keen to refresh their approach to entering the Lancashire Tourism Awards, an LTA21 Applications Masterclass is being held on Wednesday 6 October 2.00-2.45pm, registration details can also be found in the Tips for Applicants section of

The deadline for applications is midnight on Wednesday 3 November with the shortlist of finalists due to be announced on Thursday 18 November.

The Lancashire Tourism Awards 2021 will take place early next year, location and timing to be announced this November.

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