LOOKING FOR 'THE CREAM' OF SOUTH EAST TOURISM BUSINESSES
May 31, 2006: Tourism businesses in the South East will soon be battling to win Tourism South East's (TSE) annual Tourism ExSEllence Awards, regarded as the industry's equivalent of Hollywood's Oscars.
The awards are open to any tourism business in the South East demonstrating excellence. There are 14 categories available to enter this year ranging from bed and breakfast, self-catering properties, hotels and visitor attractions to tourist information centres, local produce, business tourism and best tourism website.
One new award will be up for grabs this year - the Green Tourism Award. TSE has joined up with the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) and designed an award to reward green initiatives and good environmental practice in tourism
Bob Collier, TSE's managing director, said: "These awards provide tourism businesses in our region with an opportunity to compete in the regional heats of VisitBritain's Enjoy England Awards for Excellence, a national initiative recognising and rewarding the country's finest tourism organisations."
Entering the award scheme has never been easier. Simply call our hotline on 023 8062 5502, email jhodge@tourismse.com or visit http://www.industry.visitsoutheastengland.com/tourismawards06/index.aspx to download information and entry forms. The closing date for entries is the 19 June and winners will be announced at a prestigious award ceremony in 5 October.
The 2006 Tourism ExSEllence Awards are sponsored by: EDF Energy, one of the UK's largest energy companies supplying gas and electricity to over five million consumers; Take One Media, which distributes more than 55 million leaflets to retail, catering, hotel and tourism information centres across the country; and the South East Food Group Partnership, the sector group for local and regional produce in the South East, bringing together and supporting local food groups and producers.
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For further information please contact Jodie Hodge on 023 8062 5502 or jhodge@tourismse.com
Notes to Editor
Tourism South East is the strategic tourism body for Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex.
TSE Tourism ExSEllence Awards are the South East regional heats for the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence. They are the most prestigious regional accolades of their kind, identifying, recognising and rewarding tourism companies achieving the highest possible standards in 14 different categories.
There are 14 different categories to enter in the Tourism ExSEllence Awards they are:
Categories where winners will be sent through to the National Enjoy England Awards for Excellence:
B&B of the Year
Small Hotel of the Year
Large Hotel of the Year
Self-Catering Holiday of the Year
Caravan Holiday Park of the Year
Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
TIC of the Year
Tourism Website of the Year
Business Tourism Award
Outstanding Customer Service Award
A Flavour of the South East
Region Only Categories:
Rural Pubs with Accommodation Award
New - Green Tourism Award
The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence, organised by VisitBritain and sponsored by the Caravan Club, celebrate the best of English tourism. Now in their 18th year, the Awards are known throughout the industry as the 'Oscars' of tourism. They promote healthy industry competition and high standards, helping to ensure England's place as a world-class destination. For further details visit: http://www.enjoyengland.com/ideas/features/feature_pages/awards.aspx
The Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) is linked to an EU standard for tourism and tourism related businesses relating to environmental good practice. The GTBS is increasingly recognised as the most appropriate UK scheme for green accreditation for tourism businesses. To gain GTBS accreditation, businesses are graded against over 120 measures of best practice reflecting a balance of environmental, economic and social issues, resulting in the BRONZE, SILVER or GOLD awards.
EDF Energy is one of the UK's largest energy companies. It provides power to a quarter of the UK's population via its electricity distribution networks in London, the South East and the East of England. EDF Energy supplies gas and electricity to more than five million customers and generates about 5GW of energy from its coal and gas power stations, as well as combined heat and power plants and wind farms. The company is also a key player in national infrastructure projects, including the electrical upgrading of the London Underground, management of private electricity networks serving four London airports and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, the country's first new railway in 100 years. It employs nearly 13,000 people at locations across the UK. EDF Energy is a core part of EDF Group, one of the world's largest power companies.