West Midlands Tourism Awards 2020 – the 43 finalists revealed

From country pubs to stylish B&Bs to some of the best known attractions in the world.

The West Midlands is home to a fantastic array of visitor attractions, which helped to bring more than 131 million visitors to our region in 2018 – a 2.6% increase on the previous year.

They contributed to £12.6bn to the region’s economy, a rise of 6.7%, according to the latest figures from the West Midlands Growth Company.

And with Coventry set to celebrate the UK Capital of Culture in 2021 and Birmingham hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games these numbers are expected to increase.

We’re celebrating the businesses behind this brilliant success.

An array of impressive organisations entered the inaugural West Midlands Tourism Awards and panels of judges, featuring industry experts, had a difficult task in choosing a shortlist for the 15 categories.

West Midlands Growth Company is supporting the inaugural West Midlands Tourism Awards, which will be held at the Great Hall at the University of Birmingham on February 26.

You can buy tickets to West Midlands Tourism Awards 2020 here and find out about sponsorship opportunities here

Here’s the shortlist:

Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award

Birmingham Hippodrome – one of the largest touring theatres in the UK featuring the best musicals, dance, opera ballet and pantomime

Royal Shakespeare Company – creating quality theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon and shared around the world

B&B/ Guest House of the Year

Avonlea – B&B in Stratford-upon-Avon proudly offering comfy rooms and good, hearty breakfasts

Broom Park Farm – B&B in Cleobury Mortimer, Kidderminster, offering guests the opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in a tranquil, rural location

Victoria Spa Lodge – recently refurbished B&B set in a mansion in Stratford-upon-Avon featuring two springs which bubble up in the basement

Business events venue of the Year

Coombe Abbey – historic four-star hotel in Warwickshire is an ideal conference venue with 11 meeting rooms

ICC Birmingham – major conference venue incorporating Symphony Hall and hosting exhibitions, banquets, weddings and meetings of all sizes

Warwick Conferences – features large conference facilities, small meeting rooms and hotel-styled bed and breakfast

You can buy tickets to West Midlands Tourism Awards 2020 here and find out about sponsorship opportunities here

Camping, Glamping, Holiday Park of the Year

Etties Field – Boho glamping ground in Atherstone, named after owner’s grandma

Hencote – destination English vineyard with national appeal

Hill Farm Glamping – featuring bell tents, a shepherd’s hut and tipi near Southam in Warwickshire

Hopleys Family Camping – situated outside Bewdley in Worcestershire in the heart of the Severn Valley with great onsite facilities

Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award

The Hive – cafe and bakery serving organic food in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter while celebrating industrial heritage

Experience of Year

Bobby Britnell – textile artist, designer and teacher in Shropshire offering talks, courses and creative workshops

Jaguar Land Rover Experience Solihull – featuring manufacturing tours and off road driving challenges for unforgettable days out

Positively Birmingham Walking Tours – city centre walks for local people and visitors alike

Royal Shakespeare Company – making theatres and performances accessible to as many people as possible

You can buy tickets to West Midlands Tourism Awards 2020 here and find out about sponsorship opportunities here

Large Hotel of the Year

Coombe Abbey – featuring characterful and charming bed chambers and countryside views across Coventry and Warwickshire

Mallory Court Country House Hotel & Spa – a beautifully grand Lutyens style main house in Leamington Spa which prides itself in offering exceptional hospitality

Malmaison Birmingham – boutique hotel offering first class facilities in a former Royal Mail building

Small Hotel of the Year

Baraset Barn, Lovely Pubs – Stratford-upon-Avon hotel with 200 year history and 16 individually designed bedrooms

Brockencote Hall – beautifully refurbished Victorian country manor house hotel set in 70 acres of parkland

International Tourism

Go Cotswolds – small-group guided day tours of the Cotswolds from Stratford-upon-Avon and Moreton-in-Marsh

Shakespeare’s Birthplace – walk in Shakespeare’s footsteps and explore the house where he was born and grew up

You can buy tickets to West Midlands Tourism Awards 2020 here and find out about sponsorship opportunities here

New Tourism Business Award

Hotel Indigo, Stratford-upon-Avon – boutique hotel offering contemporary accommodation with a traditional twist

Positively Birmingham Walking Tours – offering private and public tours around the canals and other historic sites in the city centre

Shakespeare Distillery – artisan spirit producer established in 2015

Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year

Burlton Cottages – three holiday cottages on a friendly, family-run 500-acre private farming estate in the heart of the North Shropshire

Ironbridge View Townhouse – grade II listed townhouse set in the heart of historic Ironbridge

Penny Black Cottage – former post office shop in the heart of Coalbrookdale, part of the Unesco World Heritage Site at Ironbridge Gorge

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year

Black Country Living Museum – an immersive experience telling the story of one of the very first industrialised landscapes in Britain and film location for Peaky Blinders

National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham – featuring over 2000 creatures including the UK’s only 360 degree Ocean Tunnel

Royal Shakespeare Company – performances of plays by Shakespeare, his contemporaries and today’s writers with backstage tours and education trips making theatre more accessible

You can buy tickets to West Midlands Tourism Awards 2020 here and find out about sponsorship opportunities here

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year

Aston Hall – explore the splendour of one of the last great houses build in the Jacobean style

FarGo Village – artistically regenerated industrial space which is home to Coventry’s creative quarter

Jaguar Land Rover Experience Solihull – fantastic 4×4 off road trips and manufacturing tours

Shakespeare Schoolroom & Guildhall – where Shakespeare discovered theatre for the first time and was educated and inspired to become the world’s greatest playwright

Pub of the Year

The Coracle Micro pub – Telford’s first micro pub in the scenic Ironbridge Gorge

The Howard Arms – a 400 year old Cotswolds pub, restaurant and B&B

The Millstone Hare – olde style English pub built in 2016 in Southam, Warwickshire, on a 600 acre estate

Taste of England Award

Esquires Coffee – set in Coventry Transport Museum and serving fair trade drinks, hot and cold sandwiches and Coventry Godcakes

The Butchers Social – Henley in Arden venue serving dishes including salted caramel chicken wings

Turmeric Gold – Indian restaurant in Coventry using fresh ingredients from locally sourced farms and suppliers

You can buy tickets to West Midlands Tourism Awards 2020 here and find out about sponsorship opportunities here