VisitEngland has announced the winners for the tourism Awards for Excellence - and three Yorkshire venues have taken away Gold and Silver.

The Awards for Excellence winners were announced at the annual event hosted by journalist Sean Fletcher on June 3, 2026.

Gold, Silver and Bronze were awarded in 17 categories selected from 21 local awards and they ranged from ‘Regenerative Tourism Award’ to ‘Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award’ and from ‘New Tourism Business of the Year’ to ‘Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year’.

The prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence have been running for more than 35 years and celebrate and champion the quality, innovation, best practice and customer service of England’s tourism industry.

Castle Howard. (Pic credit: David Lindsay)

placeholder image — Castle Howard. (Pic credit: David Lindsay)

The awards recognise businesses including hotels, self-catering accommodation, B&Bs, glamping operators, attractions, restaurants, pubs and museums and individuals.

Castle Howard is one of the attractions that has achieved national recognition following its success earlier this year at the Visit York Tourism Awards.

Abbi Ollive, Castle Howard’s visitor attraction director, said: “We are incredibly proud to be recognised at the VisitEngland Awards and to be named alongside some of the UK’s leading visitor attractions.

“A genuine Yorkshire welcome is central to the Castle Howard experience, and we place great importance on ensuring our international visitors feel valued from the moment they arrive.

A woman explores the interior of Castle Howard. (Pic credit: VisitBritain / Daniel Wildey)

“Through initiatives ranging from cultural awareness training and bespoke guided tours to travel-inclusive ticket packages and tailored visitor services, our team is committed to delivering an outstanding and memorable experience for guests from across the globe.”

Tourism minister at VisitEngland, Stephanie Peacock, said: “I am delighted to see so many businesses across England being recognised for their outstanding work, helping to make people’s stays as enjoyable and memorable as possible.

“From hotels and pubs to glamping, museums and experiences, these awards are a real testament to those striving to ensure our tourism industry remains outstanding.

“Our upcoming Visitor Economy Growth Strategy will provide a clear, long-term plan to unlock investment, back businesses and showcase more of our great destinations to the world.”

VisitEngland director, Andrew Stokes, said: “The awards are a celebration of England’s outstanding tourism industry and an opportunity to highlight the excellence that makes it world leading.

“From a hands-on, traditional blacksmith’s visitor experience in the Midlands and a castle hotel and spa set in one of our national parks to accessible and inclusive holidays, these awards showcase the exceptional quality, unparalleled customer service and innovation that drive our industry.

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“I congratulate the wonderful range of first-class award recipients, all of whom are so passionate about tourism. They are all deserving winners.”

In addition to the 16 core category winners, three special awards were presented including the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award’, ‘Tourism Superstar Award’ and the ‘Travel Content Award’.