Nottinghamshire’s tourism sector is celebrating another year of national recognition after several county businesses and venues were shortlisted and awarded at the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2026.
Held at Aerospace Bristol on 3 June and hosted by broadcaster Sean Fletcher, the awards recognise the very best of England’s tourism industry, celebrating excellence in customer service, innovation, accessibility and visitor experiences.
Representing Nottingham & Nottinghamshire on the national stage were three outstanding finalists who had first achieved success through the Nottinghamshire Tourism Awards, demonstrating the vital role regional awards play in showcasing local businesses and helping them gain national recognition.
Among this year’s successes, the Nottingham Playhouse secured Silver in the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award category, recognising its commitment to ensuring theatre and cultural experiences are accessible to all. Nottingham Venues also achieved Silver in the Business Events Venue of the Year category, highlighting Nottingham’s growing reputation as a destination for conferences, meetings and events.
Meanwhile, National Justice Museum received Bronze in the Small Visitor Attraction of the Year category, further reinforcing Nottinghamshire’s strength as a destination rich in heritage and unique visitor experiences.
The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence have been running for more than 35 years and are widely regarded as the pinnacle of recognition within the English tourism industry. Finalists are selected from local and regional competitions across the country, with only the very best progressing to the national stage.
These achievements underline the exceptional quality of Nottinghamshire’s tourism businesses and demonstrate the importance of entering the annual Nottinghamshire Tourism Awards. Success at a local level not only provides valuable recognition among industry peers but also opens the door to competing nationally through VisitEngland’s flagship awards programme.
Being shortlisted for a national award is a significant achievement in itself. It places businesses alongside some of the country’s leading tourism operators and showcases Nottinghamshire’s visitor economy on a national platform. The success of this year’s finalists is testament to the passion, innovation and dedication found across the county’s tourism sector.
The Nottinghamshire Tourism Awards continue to provide a springboard for local businesses to gain recognition, celebrate their achievements and benchmark themselves against the very best in the industry. With another strong showing at the national awards, Nottinghamshire once again demonstrated that it can compete with the finest tourism destinations in England.
Congratulations to all of Nottinghamshire’s finalists and winners for flying the flag for the city & county and helping to raise the profile of Nottinghamshire as a world-class visitor destination.
Posted on 04 June 2026
