This award will be given to the best accommodation in Wales; unique, innovative, high quality places to stay that offer visitors a truly memorable experience. This category is open to all Visit Wales graded accommodation or to businesses that are part of a National Quality Assurance Scheme e.g. The AA.

Each category winner will be an exemplar business offering the very best in quality in all aspects of a visitor’s experience. We’re looking for businesses that are breaking new ground in customer service, comfort and hospitality.

We want to see evidence of great value for money, attention to detail, impeccable and friendly customer service, high standards of furnishings and fittings and a willingness to go that extra mile to ensure that all visitors have a visit to remember.

SUB CATEGORIES:

• Hotel - sponsored by Afonwen Laundry Limited
  
• Guest Accommodation
• Self-Catering
• Holiday, Touring or Camping Park
• Hostels, Bunkhouses and Alternative Accommodation

We are looking to reward the best event which puts Wales on the map! This category is open to events of all sizes that offer a top-quality experience and which have been staged since 1st March 2012. The event will have the potential to attract new visitors from outside the local area and raise Wales’ profile.

Through successful marketing and promotion, visitor numbers and spend will have grown and the event will show commitment to developments and improvements in line with the changing needs of the visitor.

We are keen to see evidence of the event having a positive economic impact on the local community and drawing upon the skills and expertise of local residents and businesses to create a sustainable, vibrant and unique visitor experience.

Excellence in service, customer care and hospitality are key, as well as commitment to staff training and promotion of Wales’ sense of place. Evidence of future planning and financial sustainability of the event will need to be demonstrated.

People who come to Wales are looking for something different, something genuine and something real. This category is open to any business, activity provider, tour providers, tour operators, attractions, travel companies, even individuals who can show that what they are offering visitors to Wales is truly unique and is a real alternative visitor experience.

The winner of this category will cater for visitors seeking adventure or searching for new experiences. The experience offered must be genuine and gives visitors an opportunity to try something different. You must also be able to demonstrate your understanding of the need to safeguard what makes Wales real - its environment, landscape, history and culture.

Excellence in service, hospitality, quality and customer care are vital if Wales is to compete on the world tourism stage and this category looks to reward businesses that exceed expectations in all these elements. We will award businesses that work together as a team to offer visitors a truly memorable experience.

We’re looking for a business with a strong commitment to skills development. We’ll be looking for evidence of good employment practice which can be used to inspire and motivate others to adopt and implement similar practices. The winner will need to illustrate how the investment in training has enabled them to achieve their success.

This award recognises tourism businesses that have demonstrated exceptional customer service that goes above and beyond expectations and gives visitors that warm welsh welcome.

Welsh restaurants, pubs and cafés are becoming an increasing important asset to Wales’ tourism offer and we want to reward the best dining experience.

The winner will have a menu with character. They will understand the special care in sourcing and balancing ingredients and flavours. They will use local produce and show creativity and imagination in the dishes on offer. The menu will also show value for money in relation to the dining experience on offer.

Staff will be efficient, friendly and have good product knowledge. We are looking for excellent service, warm ambience, sympathetic surroundings and the quality of the ‘croeso’ – The unique Welsh identity and a sense of place.

We encourage all (hospitality) businesses to enter themselves into this category and we will produce a shortlist per sub category. We will set up an online voting page on the Awards website for the public to vote for their favourite place to eat in each sub-category.

SUB CATEGORIES:

• Restaurant (including hotel restaurants and stand-alone restaurants)
• Pub
• Café

Across Wales, we have a multitude of tourism businesses that we can be proud of. This category is open to any tourism business based within the Regional Tourism Partnership (RTP) areas which provides a first class tourism offer.

The four RTP areas are:

• North Wales
• Mid Wales
• South West Wales
• Capital Region Tourism

We are looking for businesses that can demonstrate quality, customer care, sense of place and give visitors a unique experience. There will be two finalists in each of these sub categories with the winner announced at the Awards ceremony.

This award seeks to promote the significant contribution made to the tourism industry in Wales by the business visits and business events sector.

We’re looking to recognise an operator that caters for and provides packages or specific services to either the corporate or association market. Whether you attract national and international conferences and meetings, organise exhibitions or arrange corporate events such as incentives, team building, product launches or hospitality – this is the category for you.

Wales is the home to and inspiration for many young entrepreneurs. People working within Wales think differently, think big and they succeed.

This award will recognise the successful contributions of young entrepreneurs in the tourism industry in Wales, and how they have created or invigorated a business, making significant impact on Welsh tourism. They will demonstrate that original thinking and challenging convention has resulted in ways of developing and improving the business.

They will show commitment, enthusiasm, entrepreneurial flair and innovative approach to their role, as well as being able to demonstrate the results of successful changes and improvements they have introduced. This award aims to promote positive role models for the tourism industry in Wales.

sponsored by eysys



This award recognises the business that has excelled in incorporating ICT in its operations with an aim to market or sell its destination, product, attraction, or experience and enhance the business’ competitiveness.

We are looking for innovation, usability and interactivity. We are also interested in the effectiveness of the technology, such as the number of downloads, take-up and use of the nominated solution.

We are looking to reward someone who has made an outstanding contribution over the years to the Welsh tourism industry – and we’re looking to you to nominate them for this award!

Whether they own a tourism business, are a star employee or simply work to promote the industry, we want to reward someone who has put Wales on the map.