ENTRIES for the tourism awards which cover East Yorkshire have officially opened.

The winners of the Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism Awards (REYTAs) will be announced next March, with those who triumph going through to the finals of Visit England’s own tourism Oscars.

Organised by Visit Hull and East Yorkshire (VHEY), the 2013 REYTAs have 14 categories and are designed to celebrate the best of the visitor economy in the region, which is estimated to be worth more than £615 million a year.

“The REYTAs are an opportunity for our local tourism businesses to celebrate quality and one of our aims is to increase the number of businesses participating,” said VHEY tourism manager Andy Gray.

An additional award entitled Remarkable East Yorkshire Passion will be included this year to honour the person who has made the greatest tourism contribution over the past year. More information is available at vhey.co.uk