Winners announced for the Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Awards 2024-25, accredited by VisitEngland

Over 280 people came together on Friday (February 28th) to celebrate the best of Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland’s £2.6bn visitor economy at the Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Awards 2024-25.

Organised by Destination Lincolnshire, representatives from the 79 shortlisted businesses, places and individuals came together at the Lincolnshire Showground to find out who would be crowned the best in the region.

Supported by Award Partners; Lincolnshire County Council, Rutland County Council, Discover Rutland, event delivery partner Knapton Wright, West Lindsey District Council, East Lindsey District Council, Boston Borough Council, North Kesteven District Council, South Kesteven District Council, Heart of Lincs, The Drill (part of the Lincoln College Group), AVH Parks Ltd, insight6, Fantasy Island, Nicholsons Chartered Accountants, DoubleTree by Hilton, Ruddocks, Peachy Events, Woodhall Country Park, Systematic, Visit Lincoln, Taste Lincolnshire, Scott Perry, The Choowee Cookie Company, Mayflower & Lily, Doddington Hall & Gardens, The Old Granary, The Cheese Society, the awards brought together the best of the best working within the visitor economy.

Hosted by the wonderful Lee Peart – resident warm-up act for ITV’s Loose Women, comedian, actor and proud Grimbarian - the night was a true celebration of the homegrown talent and the immersive, inclusive experiences that await visitors heading to Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland.

For winners and finalists alike, the night was a chance to gather at the Lincolnshire Showground, elegantly styled for the occasion by Mayflower & Lily, celebrate with colleagues, catch up with old friends, hatch future plans, raise a glass to their successes and enjoy some up-close magic from Scott Perry, the world’s first Director of Innovation and Magic.

Charlotte Goy, CEO of Destination Lincolnshire, said: “The Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Awards celebrated every aspect of the visitor economy that we are lucky to have here in our thriving region.

“An apt evening to champion all of the innovation, passion, dedication, resilience, and tenacity that we have seen from Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland businesses over the past few years, it was an absolute joy to meet all the finalists and see 2025’s winners named.

“Not only is this a priceless opportunity for our winners to fly the flag for the region and shout about their award win, but for 12 of our winners, this celebration also heralds the chance to achieve national recognition among industry peers in the VisitEngland Tourism Excellence Awards 2025.

“Designed to celebrate and demonstrate the quality of the UK’s visitor offering, I’m thrilled to see such a strong cohort of businesses now heading to the first round of national judging. With previous years seeing International Bomber Command, Healing Manor Hotel and our Unsung Hero, Katie Calder, head to the national final, I have everything crossed for this year’s winners. I truly hope to see some of our regional winners at the national VisitEngland Awards.”

This year’s winners were decided in line with VisitEngland’s scoring criteria, following three thorough and rigorous judging rounds, carried out by an expert panel of seasoned, industry-based judges.

The Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Award winners for 2024-25, are:

Core Categories

North Lincolnshire Museum, Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award, sponsored by AVH Parks Ltd

Bridleway Bed and Breakfast, B&B and Guest House of the Year, sponsored by The Choowee Cookie Company

Ashleigh Farm Caravan and Glamping, Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year, sponsored by South Kesteven District Council

International Bomber Command Centre, Ethical, Responsible & Sustainable Tourism Award, sponsored by Knapton Wright

Lincoln Free Walking Tour, Experience of the Year, sponsored by insight6

The William Cecil, Hotel of the Year (small and large), sponsored by Visit Lincoln

Lincoln Cathedral, Large Visitor Attraction of the Year, sponsored by Heart of Lincs

Meadow Lodges at Boothby Pagnell, New Tourism Business of the Year, sponsored by East Lindsey District Council

The Horse & Groom, Pub of the Year, sponsored by Ruddocks

Treetop Hideaways, Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year, sponsored by Woodhall Country Park

North Lincolnshire Museum, Small Visitor Attraction of the Year, sponsored by Fantasy Island

San Pietro, Taste of Lincolnshire and Rutland Award, sponsored by Discover Rutland

Regional Categories:

The Beonna, Arts, Heritage and Culture Award, sponsored by West Lindsey District Council

River Light Festival (with Festival of the Sea awarded Highly Commended), Event/Festival of the Year Award, sponsored by Peachy Events

The Lincoln Tea & Coffee Company, Homegrown in Lincolnshire and Rutland sponsored by The Drill

Horncastle (with John Dawber Gardens, Lincoln awarded Highly Commended), Pride in Place Award, sponsored by Boston Borough Council

Tuan Mai Khoi Phan, University of Lincoln, The Going Places Award, sponsored by Nicholsons Chartered Accountants

Michele Sims, Lincoln Visitor Information Centre, The Outstanding Contribution Award, sponsored by Lincolnshire Showground

Out of these 18 categories, 12 winners from the core categories will now go through to the national VisitEngland 2025 Awards for Excellence. These 12 businesses have the opportunity to represent Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland nationally as their applications are automatically put forward for consideration by the national judges.

Dates for the national timeline are yet to be announced but judging will commence once all UK regional award competitions have announced their winners in Spring 2025.

For more information about the awards, and previous year’s competitions, visit www.lincolnshirerutlandtourismawards.co.uk and for more information about the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence visit https://www.visitbritain.org/business-advice/visitengland-awards-excellence