Tourism and hospitality businesses across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire are being invited to apply for the newly launched Visit East Midlands Tourism Awards 2026/2027, celebrating excellence across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire’s visitor economy.
Applications officially open on 15 June 2026, with businesses able to enter through one of two destination award programmes delivered by the East Midlands’ two VisitEngland-accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs):
– Visit East Midlands Tourism Awards – Nottinghamshire
– Visit East Midlands Tourism Awards – Derbyshire
The Visit East Midlands Tourism Awards mark an exciting new chapter for tourism recognition across the region. Building on the established success of the Nottinghamshire Tourism Awards and the Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby Tourism Awards, the programme will continue to celebrate excellence at a destination level while creating a stronger regional platform to showcase the very best of the East Midlands visitor economy.
Delivered in partnership by the region’s two accredited LVEPs – Visit Nottinghamshire and Visit Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby – the awards will recognise outstanding businesses, attractions, experiences and individuals from across the East Midlands.
Businesses from across accommodation, attractions, food and drink, accessible tourism, business events, experiences and hospitality sectors are encouraged to apply, with eligible winners from each local awards programme progressing to the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.
The awards aim to showcase the innovation, quality, sustainability and customer experience delivered across the region’s tourism and hospitality industry while helping raise the profile of the East Midlands as a leading UK visitor destination.
Megan Powell Vreeswijk, CEO of Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire including Visit Nottinghamshire, said:
“The launch of the Visit East Midlands Tourism Awards represents an exciting opportunity to strengthen collaboration across the region while continuing to celebrate the unique strengths of our individual destinations. As part of this new approach, the Nottinghamshire awards will evolve to become the Visit East Midlands Tourism Awards – Nottinghamshire, providing a stronger regional identity while maintaining a dedicated platform to recognise excellence across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
Importantly, the awards will continue to operate independently at a local level, ensuring businesses from across our city and county can gain recognition for their achievements and progress through to the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.
Tourism is a vital part of Nottinghamshire’s economy, contributing £2.53 billion annually and supporting more than 22,500 jobs and Nottinghamshire is known for producing national finalists and winners. We look forward to continuing to champion the outstanding tourism, hospitality and visitor economy businesses that help make our destination such a special place to visit.”
Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, said:
“The Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby Tourism Awards have a proud track record of recognising and celebrating the businesses, organisations and individuals that make our destination such a special place to visit. The new Visit East Midlands Tourism Awards – Derbyshire build on that success, ensuring Derbyshire continues to have its own dedicated awards programme while benefiting from greater regional visibility and collaboration.
“Our visitor economy is home to world-class accommodation providers, attractions, restaurants, experiences and tourism professionals. These awards are an opportunity to showcase that excellence, celebrate achievement and inspire businesses to continue raising standards for visitors. We encourage businesses of all sizes to enter and take advantage of the recognition, profile and opportunities that the awards can bring.”
Further information on categories, eligibility criteria and how to enter will be available from 15 June 2026.
On the Visit Nottinghamshire website: https://www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk/nottinghamshire-tourism-awards
On the Visit Peak District and Derbyshire website: https://visitpeakdistrict.com/industry/events/category/tourism-awards
Posted on 15 June 2026
