Applications now open for North East Tourism Awards

Andy Hook, owner of Dobson & Parnell, which won the Gold Award for Taste of North East England.

The North East England Tourism Awards celebrate quality, innovation and best practice throughout the region, showcasing the fantastic range of high quality experiences on offer for visitors.

A total of 15 awards are up for grabs, including a new one – the Resilience and Innovation Award – which recognises businesses that have demonstrated innovation, resilience and adaptation following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Another new category added is the Unsung Hero Award.

Sarah Green, chief executive of destination and investment organisation NewcastleGateshead Initiative, which leads on the delivery of the event, said: “We’re really excited to be launching The North East England Tourism Awards, which gives us a great opportunity to celebrate the fantastic tourism businesses across our region.

“We strongly encourage all tourism businesses in the North East – accommodation providers, pubs, restaurants and attractions – to submit their free entry for the awards and help us to showcase the best of the North East.”

Andy Hook, owner of Dobson & Parnell, which won the Gold Award for Taste of North East England, said: “Winning award was like a dream come true for us.

"Being given an accolade by local people from the region means as much to us, if not more, than all the national awards we’ve won over the years.

“Not only is it great to have recognition showing we’re doing something right but has also been a real morale booster for the team who have worked tirelessly over the past few years to ensure the restaurant’s survival and success.

"The award will also give us something to shout about in all of our promotion so it will undoubtedly be good for business, bringing new people into the restaurant”.

Applications for the North East England Tourism Awards will close at noon on Thursday, September 23, with the award winners being announced in March 2022.

Eligible winners of certain categories will be automatically put forward to the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2022.

The awards, sponsored by Newcastle College and Bidfood, will see applications judged by a panel of industry experts, with a focus on experiencing the North East tourism industry first-hand.

For more visit www.NorthEastTourismAwards.com