Visitors to Wales love to discover what makes Wales so distinctive and special. This award is open to a business or destination which can prove that it is proactively promoting a sense of place, for example through displays or sales of Welsh food and drink products, Welsh furnishings, Welsh arts & crafts, Welsh Language etc.

Entrants will be required to show proof of how they not only help promote a sense of place through the use of such items, but also how they successfully market their product and to detail any areas in which they believe they offer a different, unusual or unique experience.

We’re looking for a business that embraces all aspects of sense of place from displaying pictures of the locality or from local artists to using traditional Welsh fabrics, furnishings, building materials or the use of the Welsh language on signage, marketing material and menus. For those of you serving food, you’ll need to show that you incorporate local produce in your food offering.

We’re looking for you to demonstrate your ability to act as ambassadors for your local area. Are you proactive in suggesting ideas to your customers for things to do and places to go? Have you developed links with other businesses within the local community?

For suppliers entering a product for consideration, we are looking for a business that proactively targets distinctively Welsh products at the tourism industry in Wales to enhance the visitor experience.

People who come to Wales are looking for something different, something genuine and something real. This category is open to attractions, events, activity providers, tour guides, 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 give 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.

All families are different, but there are some basic requirements for a good family day out. Child friendly days out make for happier kids and parents! In 2010 we’ll be focusing some of our marketing efforts on attracting families to Wales. With this in mind, we want to find the best family day out in Wales.

We’re looking for an attraction, activity or event that’s focused on the family market. You’ll need to be offering innovative and exciting things to see and do that will appeal to kids as well as the grown ups.

Excellence in customer service and hospitality will be regarded as your core business objectives. Evidence of a training plan and commitment to the development of staff is vital. We’re looking for businesses that have developed high quality facilities, services and activities specifically with the family in mind.

Wales is a stage for large cultural and sporting events and smaller scale events that are quirky, community based and fun. This category is open to large and small events that offer a top quality experience.

a - Large Event

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 in a sustainable manner and the event will show commitment to developments and improvements in line with the changing needs of the visitor.

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.

b - Community Event

We’re looking to reward an event that has had a positive economic impact on the local community, such as helping to foster community regeneration and a greater sense of pride. The project will have succeeded in drawing attention to the area and will have started to attract visitors from away, bringing economic benefits to local businesses.

The project will draw upon the skills and expertise of local residents and small businesses to create a sustainable, vibrant and unique visitor experience. The people involved will have made the event what it is today, those attending will get a deeper insight into the community and it will help them connect with what goes on locally as well as give them a sense of belonging.

The passion of the local community for the event will shine through. You’ll also have big ideas for the future development of the event without compromising the community feel which makes it so special. Evidence of future planning and financial sustainability of the event will need to be demonstrated.

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 split into serviced and non-serviced accommodation and is open to all Visit Wales graded accommodation in Wales. 2009/2010 Visit Wales gold award winners will automatically be entered into the serviced category.

a - Serviced

1. Small operator – up to 10 bedrooms
2. Large operator – over 10 bedrooms

b - Non-serviced

1. Small operator (up to three units)
2. Large operator (multiple units including s/c agencies)
3. Caravan & camping

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 stay to remember.

This award seeks to recognise any tourism businesses that can demonstrate effective use of digital marketing.

We are looking for an original and innovative approach to digital marketing which has a thoroughly researched plan and strategy with clear objectives. Your digital marketing work will be well researched and demonstrate success through evaluation and the impact made to your bottom line.

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 a business that works as a team to offer visitors a truly memorable experience.

We’re looking for a business with a strong commitment to staff development and 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 also recognises tourism businesses that have demonstrated exceptional customer service that goes above and beyond visitor expectations.

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

We’re looking to recognise an operator or venue 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.

Partnership working is key to achieving results. With many groups and associations delivering excellent work on behalf of tourism businesses in Wales, we’re very pleased to include a partnership award for the first time in 2010. This category is open to organisations that represent groups or clusters of tourism businesses within a geographical area or any sector of the tourism industry.

We’re looking for a partnership or group which can demonstrate that it has delivered benefits though the delivery of training, advice or support. The organisation will also need to demonstrate that it has developed strong communication channels with its members and key stakeholders.

This award seeks to acknowledge entrepreneurship within the tourism industry in Wales and is open to businesses that have been operational for up to three years. We want to know how you created a business from scratch or invigorated an existing business, and how you are now making an impact on Welsh tourism.

We’re looking for evidence to demonstrate that original thinking and challenging convention has resulted in ways of developing and improving the quality of the business. You will need to show commitment, enthusiasm, entrepreneurial flair and an innovative approach.

This award is open to any tourism business committed to sustainable development which provides services to the tourism industry and community groups.

Sustainable tourism is more than just being ‘green'. Unlike eco or green tourism, sustainable tourism addresses social, cultural, economic and environmental issues. For tourism to be sustainable we must ensure that the long-term needs of communities, visitors and the environment are taken into account.

We’ll be looking for a business that has excelled or made improvements in the following areas:

• energy management eg reducing carbon footprint/installing renewable energy systems
• water and waste management
• sustainable transport – encouraging and promoting
• supporting local economy eg sourcing local produce
• supporting local culture and heritage eg the Welsh language
• protecting and improving the local environment including nature and wildlife

We’ll also be looking at your approach to promoting sustainable tourism amongst your visitors, staff and community.