A RALLYING call has gone out for businesses which welcome visitors to the city to shout about their success.

Entries are now open for the Visit York Tourism Awards, which shine a light on operators that deliver amazing visitor experiences.

The event, on Thursday, April 23, 2020, celebrates excellence and innovation and offers eligible winners the chance to be put forward to the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.

Businesses from across the city, from hotels to restaurants, pubs to visitor attractions, are being urged to enter. Entries should be submitted online at www.visityork.org/awards by Monday, January 6 at 5pm. Winners will be announced at a ceremony at the National Railway Museum.

Paul Whiting, of Visit York, said: “The awards have been created to recognise the stars of the tourism industry across the city and celebrate the hard work that goes in to providing first class experiences for visitors. For winners, the awards are also a fabulous opportunity to showcase their business on the national stage with automatic entry, for many categories, into the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence. We would love to see entries from a wide array of businesses and we are looking forward to celebrating with all the finalists in April. ”

New categories for 2020 include Experience of the Year and Event of the Year which reward truly memorable and immersive activities and events, and the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award which celebrates businesses that provide the best experiences for visitors with accessibility requirements.

The 17 categories also include: B&B or Guest House; Business Events Venue; Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park; International Tourism Award; Large Hotel; large attraction; new tourism business; pub; self-catering accommodation; shop; small hotel; small attraction; taste of York award and tourism champion.

A panel of independent judges will choose the shortlist and winners through a mix of mystery shopping and rigorous analysis against the entry criteria.