EoE Tourism Awards highlight team work and the value of great staff

Congratulations to all the finalists and winners at yesterday evening’s #EOETourismAwards 2022-23 at milsoms Kesgrave Hall outside Ipswich – it was a fabulous event organised by LOCALiQ_UK , part of the Newsquest Media Group Media Group, and sponsored by Hoseasons .

Besides the glitz and glamour, the flowing wine, fabulous food and wise-cracking antics of host David Whiteley, the event was about recognising the incredible talent, enthusiasm, energy and hard work that drives our region’s largest industry sector and biggest employer.

Tourism is the biggest winner from an event such as this because it demonstrates the importance and breadth of the visitor economy, its ability and capacity to innovate, especially in adversity, and its resilience by adaptability, particularly coming through a pandemic that halved the value of the region’s tourism industry in one fell swoop. Rather than a chance to shut up shop, Covid became an opportunity to regroup, rethink, refocus, and go again. There’s a silver lining from that awful time that our visitor economy could come back stronger. To misquote a well-known phrase, our industry repaired the roof while it rained stair rods.

‘Teamwork’ was a ubiquitous reference in winners’ speeches, and that’s a testament to those business owners and managers who understand the need to develop staff to work effectively and efficiently together for the ultimate objective of giving customers a great experience and leaving them planning a return. A salutary lesson in these times of staff and skills shortages. Invest in people and the rewards will come.

‘Working together’ was another theme from the winners and that is very much how Visit East of England began in 2018, to provide a collective voice for the sector that would allow us to work as a partnership with VisitBritain and VisitEngland and to overcome the national tourist authorities’ - justified - criticism that they ‘only hear white noise coming from the East’.

And to complete a powerful and notable triumvirate, it was extraordinary to see the level of family businesses who were excelling in their various parts of hospitality and tourism. Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park , Watatunga Wildlife Reserve , #KingsHeadBawburgh, #HippersonsBoatyard, Gladwins Farm Holiday Cottages, Retreat East , #TuffonHallVineyard, Deepdale Camping & Rooms , The Grove Cromer Llp , Tewinbury Farm Hotel were just a few of the family-run businesses being celebrated. Two of the three finalists in the Large Visitor Attraction were also family-run: BeWILDerwood Norfolk at Hoveton and ROARR!? ! Dinosaur Adventure at Lenwade. That they came up against the might of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – the Making of Harry Potter, the eventual winners, where a ￡100m+ investment has been made, rather highlights the disparity between London-centric attractions and those further east where, nonetheless, substantial investment has been made in family-owned and -managed businesses.

The worthy winner of Outstanding Contribution To Tourism award, Philip Turner of The Chestnut Group , epitomised the idea of a family-run business succeeding, and his speech was a resounding affirmation of the opportunities – with hard work, determination and a vision - in the visitor economy in the East of England.

Sustainability, accessibility and inclusivity were also writ large over the evening’s proceedings, key elements of progressive tourism that could potentially give us an edge over other regions in the coming years. If they’re not yet at the top of the agenda, they very soon will be.

Finally, Visit East of England long advocated for these awards to align with the national awards, it was a condition of our support, so we are pleased that has happened, allowing all the finalists from this region to go forward to the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence and the opportunity for national recognition. They will arrive as torch bearers of our entire tourism offering in the East of England – good luck to them!