ENTRIES are open for awards celebrating the best of tourism and hospitality in Staffordshire.
The 2026 Visit Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Tourism Awards will see businesses, restaurants, pubs and cafes battle it out in 20 categories.
Winners will also go forward to the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2026 – just as previous winners including the National Memorial Arboretum have done.
Cllr Martin Murray, deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“After our amazing success at the recent VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, where two Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent businesses were recognised, we’re excited to launch our 2026 awards competition which has seen year-on-year growth and is set to be the best yet.
“Not only is it a key business support programme, but it’s also an opportunity for Staffordshire companies to recognise the hard work of their teams. It is only through their efforts that they can qualify for the national awards.”
Free online workshops are being help on 2nd and 17th July for businesses to find out more about the contest and the application process.
The awards are free to enter and the deadline for companies to put themselves forward is midnight on 1st September.
Details of all the categories and registration for the workshops can be found at www.visitstaffordshire.com/awards.