STOP PRESS - Closing date has been extended to midnight 26th June for all categories except Customer Service Superstar and Tourism Event/Festival which is still 31 August.

Search is on for the Best Tourism businesses in the South East

Once again Tourism South East and host sponsor the Grand Hotel Brighton are looking to recognise and celebrate the very best tourism businesses in the South East with the launch of the Beautiful South Awards 2017.  The Awards cover a range of categories from hotels to visitor attractions and tourism experiences to holiday parks.  Last year there were many new categories including Glamping, Restaurant/Bistro, Café/Tearoom and Dog-Friendly business, which will be running this year alongside a new award for Guided Tour of the Year (on land or water). For details of all the categories click here.

Winners and finalists of the Awards not only benefit from the profile and pride of being recognised as being amongst the very best in their category, but also from the feedback from judges and the opportunity to represent the South East at the national Visit England Tourism Excellence Awards.  They culminate in a prestigious celebration dinner at the Grand Brighton on 29^th November 2017.

In launching the Awards, Andrew Mosley, General Manager from host sponsor the Grand Brighton said, “We are delighted to be this year's title sponsor of The Beautiful South Awards. It is a real privilege to be selected again as the host venue following the success of the ceremony when it was last held at the Grand Brighton in 2015. The Awards really shine a spotlight on the whole host of quality and successful hospitality businesses the South East has to offer. We very much look forward to welcoming the Tourism South East team and all the finalists to the Awards ceremony in November”.

Nigel Smith, Chief Executive of Tourism South East, said, ‘’In tourism, like any other business, quality counts and businesses at the top of their game make their own success. They also inspire others to strive to be better and that’s why we run the Beautiful South Awards each year. Earlier this week three of our winners went on to pick up trophies at the National Awards showing that the South East has tourism businesses that can compete with the best in the country. This year we are hoping for a record number of entries at the regional awards which are the route through to competing nationally.’’

The Awards are now open for entry and Tourism South East is encouraging businesses to start their application at the earliest opportunity.  Entry forms can be downloaded here and need to be submitted by midnight on Monday 26 June 2017 for all categories except Tourism Event/Festival and Customer Service Superstar which close on 31 August 2017. Take a look at what previous winners have said here and for hints and tips on how to complete your entry here.

If you have any queries please email awards@beautifulsouthawards.co.uk.  Good luck.

For a full list of last years winners click here.

To download photographs from the Beautiful south Awards Ceremony 2016 click here and to see a three minute film click here.