Visit Herefordshire Tourism Awards How To Enter 2025
Visit Herefordshire Tourism Awards 2025 – How To Enter
The Visit Herefordshire Tourism Awards are back for 2025 this is your opportunity to shine and How To Apply in 2025. These prestigious awards celebrate the very best of Herefordshire’s visitor economy, recognising the businesses, people and experiences that make our County truly exceptional. Whether you run a boutique B&B, a glamping site, a vibrant attraction, or a unique local experience, there’s a category for you. From sustainability and accessibility to food, drink, and unforgettable stays, we’re here to champion excellence across the County.
Entering is completely free and simple to do. This page is a how to enter guide you through the process step by step, from choosing the right category to submitting a standout application. Winners will gain local recognition but will also be put forward for the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence giving your business the chance to shine on a national stage. So if you’re proud of what you do and want to raise your profile, attract new customers, and celebrate your team’s hard work now’s the time to get involved. Let’s celebrate Herefordshire’s tourism stars. Let’s celebrate you.
Key Dates 2025:
- Application Stage – 21 March 2025 – 31 May 2025
- Round 1 Judging – 1 June 2025 – 30 June 2025
- Round 2 Judging – 1 August 2025 – 30 September 2025
- Finalists Announced – November 2025
- Visit Herefordshire Tourism Awards Evening – 25 February 2026
First Steps On How To Apply 2025:
- Check your eligibility – Review the ‘Eligibility’ section on your chosen category’s entry form. [Click here]
- Create your OpenWater account – Register and begin your submission. You can save and print partially completed forms to review before submitting.
- Include supporting evidence (optional) – Add links to relevant online evidence to support your answers. This is optional and won’t affect your score if omitted. However, any written content placed in supplementary evidence to bypass word limits will be disregarded. Use the full word count and answer each question thoroughly.
- Submit your entry – Once your form is complete, click ‘Submit’ before the published deadline in the Key Dates section. Late entries cannot be accepted. You’ll receive a confirmation email once your entry is received.
- Preview the forms – If you’d like to review the questions before creating an account, download the sample entry forms.
- Entering from another county? – If your business or experience is based outside Herefordshire, find details of other regional schemes on the VisitEngland Awards website.
Top Tips On How To Apply 2025:
- Start preparing your entry now – don’t wait until the last minute. The deadline is fixed and cannot be extended.
- Read each question carefully, along with the checklist points that follow. Plan your responses thoughtfully before you begin writing.
- Share your draft with colleagues or customers to gather fresh ideas and perspectives.
- Use the full word count for each question and provide complete, detailed answers. Avoid one-liners – they won’t score well. Every question carries marks, and your goal is to maximise your score.
- Showcase your excellence and back it up with solid evidence. Remember, the final online submission must stay within the word limit.
- Need help with sustainability or accessibility? VisitEngland offers helpful business advice on their website.
- Explain what makes your business different. Be passionate, be bold, and highlight your commitment to excellence.
- Support each answer with proof of success – include relevant weblinks and examples.
- Be honest and factual. If your business is mystery shopped, your claims will be verified.
- Use visitor feedback and quotes – they’re powerful evidence. Tourism is all about people, and judges want to see how you’ve made a difference.
- Presentation matters. Keep your entry clear, easy to read, and free of jargon.
- Always spell check and proofread. Better yet, ask someone else to review your entry for anything you might have missed.
- Make your entry stand out. Focus on what’s unique or innovative – this is your moment to shine.
- Finally, check every page and link on your website and social media. Judges will be looking there too – make sure everything works and reflects your best.
Round One Judging
Round 1 judging has a section about the business background, online presence & reviews and then four questions. Below are some key points/themes that you should include within the question section of your application.
Question 1: Your Top Qualities
Unique selling points, strengths and the essence of your business:
- Quality of your core product and customer experience
- Added extras that delight your customers
- How you care for your team
- Use and promotion of local suppliers
- Innovative marketing and PR
- Facilities and welcome for people with accessibility requirements
- Managing and improving environmental, social and economic impacts
- Innovative adaption, diversification and/or resilience building
Question 2: Your Recent Improvements
Explain your reasons for making the improvements and indicate which parts of the business are impacted:
- Promotional / marketing initiatives
- Improving the skills of you and your team
- Expansion, upgrade of facilities, enhancements to your services
- Facilities and welcome for people with accessibility requirements
- Managing and improving environmental, social and economic impacts
- Innovative adaption, diversification and/ or resilience building
- Use of digital technologies
- Approximate date of improvement
Question 3: Your Results
- Are you able to attribute success directly to any of the improvements that you’ve made (Question 2)?
- How significant has the impact been on your business?
- Don’t be vague, use figures and specific examples i.e. ✓ % increase in occupancy levels/visitor numbers, sales, customer satisfaction and wastage reduction.
✓ % increase in online bookings or repeat business
✓ Business generated from marketing activity
✓ Growth of social media following and engagement
Question 4: Your Future Plans
Continued innovation, adaption, diversification and/ or resilience building.
- Facilities and welcome for people with accessibility requirements
- Managing and improving environmental, social and economic impacts
- Expansion, upgrade of facilities, enhancements to your services
- Improving the skills of you and your team
- Marketing and PR, including partnerships with other businesses
- Operational efficiency
- Use of digital technologies
