Are you amongst the best visitor economy businesses in the Tees Valley?
Showcase your excellence and quality
Entries for all Destination North East England Tourism Awards categories are now open.
If you're a business based in the North East or Tees Valley, simply submit an application via our online portal. The judging will be based on this entry form, your website (viewed on desktop, mobile and tablet) and any other online presence that you might have, including your social media and online customer reviews.
Please also make sure to read the terms and conditions before submitting your application.
Entries close on Monday 15th September 2025
Categories
Our 2025 awards are open to all tourism businesses which meet the published criteria for the category or categories they are entering. Entrants from the North East Combined Authority and the Tees Valley Combined Authority areas are eligible to apply.
Core Categories
- Small Hotel of the Year
- Large Hotel of the Year
- Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year
- Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year
- Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
- Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
- Pub of the Year
- Experience of the Year
- New Tourism Business of the Year
- B&B and Guest House of the Year
- Taste of North East England Award
- Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award
- Business Events Venue of the Year
- Regenerative Tourism Award (previously the Ethical responsible & Sustainable Award)
- Unsung Hero Award
- International Tourism Award
Local Categories
The North East England Tourism Awards are open to all tourism businesses across the following areas:
- Newcastle
- Gateshead
- Northumberland
- Durham, Sunderland
- South Tyneside
- North Tyneside
- Middlesborough
- Hartlepool
- Darlington
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Redcar & Cleveland
Businesses must also meet the published criteria for the categories they are entering.
Destination North East England appoint a panel of experts with extensive experience and knowledge of the tourism industry to determine the Gold, Silver, Bronze and Highly Commended local winners for each category.
No matter where you are based in the country, your local application will be judged against national standards set by Visit England, with the same scoring criteria and judging guidance for all core categories.
To view the full category criteria, click here.
If you are unsure about your eligibility for any of our categories, please contact us at tourismawards@dnee.co.uk
