Essex Tourism Wins at East of England Tourism Awards

8th March 2022

Essex walked off with three top prizes at the prestigious East of England Tourism Awards held at the Imperial War Museum Duxford on 24 February. 

The historic Alma Inn and Dining rooms in Harwich won Best B&B and Guest House as well as Best Pub in the Eastern Region. Whilst sailing school, Premier Sailing in Chelmsford were awarded the top gong in the Experience of the Year category. 

The awards were hotly contested with many tourist attractions shortlisted for the inaugural awards. However four other tourist attractions in Essex were also recognised with a series of Highly Commended awards, which went to the Pig and Whistle restaurant, Chelmsford, in the Taste of East of England category, Audley End Miniature Railway for Resilience and Innovation, stylish guest house, Suenos, Southend-on-Sea, for Best B&B and Guest House and Rayleigh Town Museum for Small Visitor Attraction. 

The awards celebrate success and excellence in the tourism and hospitality sector amidst challenging times.  Councillor Mark Durham, Chairman, Visit Essex, believes this high level of recognition is testament to the breadth and quality of tourism on offer across the county. He says: “It’s great to see Essex playing such a significant role at the East of England Tourism Awards. For so long tourists have thought of counties such as Suffolk and Norfolk as ideal holiday destinations and these awards prove we’re up there with the best - with the rise of short breaks and staycations, Essex is proving we have so much on offer, from the finest places to stay and eat to the best experiences and attractions to visit.”
He continued: “I’d like to congratulate all businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector in Essex for their hard work, creativity and resilience over what has been a very challenging time for all. Well done Essex!” 

To discover more about the East of England Tourism Awards, visit here.
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Notes to Editor:
VISIT ESSEX
Visit Essex is the official tourism organisation for Essex and specifically promotes the whole of the county to the visitor market. We work with visitor attractions, leisure, activity and accommodation providers as well as other tourism related businesses to ensure that the county receives the recognition it deserves as a leading visitor destination.
Our work encompasses marketing and PR campaigns, business support and training and the management and promotion of the official Visit Essex brand. 

For more information: 
Hilary Collins, Big Wave PR, T: 01206 231807, hilary@wearebigwavepr.co.uk