The cream of tourism businesses in the East were celebrated at the annual East of England Tourism Awards last night.
The awards, hosted by Archant and sponsored by Hoseasons, drew together businesses from across the sector.
The Outstanding Contribution Award was presented to Alan Carr, the Great Yarmouth veteran tourism champion whose work was a major factor in the economic regeneration of the town and wider area.
He was celebrated for his work in promoting tourism and being the driving force behind major events such as the first Great Yarmouth Air Show, leading the area’s Maritime Festival for about 20 years and the regeneration of the Great Yarmouth seafront.


Hosting the glittering evening event in the impressive surroundings of the Imperial War Museum at Duxford was David Whiteley, co-presenter of the ITV News Anglia, with the drinks reception proudly sponsored by Paul Robinson Partnership.
Pensthorpe Natural Park, the 700-acre nature reserve, was a double winner on the evening, scooping up both the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year and the Marketing Campaign of the Year awards.

Potters Resorts was another big winner on the night, claiming both the Resilience and Innovation Award and the Customer Excellence Award.
The third double winner was the Alma Inn & Dining Rooms in Harwich, which was the chosen one in both the Pub of the Year category and the B&B and Guest House of the Year award.
Other winners included The Lion Brasserie at East Bergholt in Essex, which won the Taste of East England Award.

More than 400 guests attended the ceremony, which saw 15 awards being presented. The evening was opened by Laura Adams, director of content at Archant. She said after the event: “It really was a remarkable event celebrating so many businesses that contribute so much to tourism and the wider economy in the East of England.
“After what has been a very challenging couple of years it was great to bring everybody together to mark some outstanding contributions and hopefully inspire others.”

The Large Hotel of the Year award went to the Maids Head Hotel in Norwich, the 13th century hotel based in the heart of the city.
Watatunga Wildlife Reserve, at King’s Lynn in the north of Norfolk, won the New Tourism Business category. Experience of the Year was awarded to Premier Sailing.
The Hog Hotel in Lowestoft won the Small Hotel of the Year award, while Hippersons Boatyard, a self-catering destination at Beccles, won the Small Visitor Attraction of the Year category.

The Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award went to Wild With Nature. Glamping site Secret Meadows had their own bit of good news when it won the Camping, Glamping, Holiday Park and Self Catering Accommodation category.
This year’s reinvigorated awards are brought to you in association with Visit East of England, and the winners and Highly Commended businesses in each VisitEngland-aligned category will go on to the finals of the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence in June, with the potential to triumph as the best in the country.

And the winners are...

B&B and Guest House of the Year
Sponsored by Tiptree
Winner: Alma Inn & Dining Rooms

Camping, Glamping, Holiday Park and Self Catering Accommodation of the Year
Sponsored by cottages.com
Winner: Secret Meadows

Customer Excellence Award
Sponsored by Swiss Camplings
Winner: Potters Resorts

Ethical, Responsible & Sustainable Tourism Award
Sponsored by Biffa
Winner: Wild With Nature

Experience of the Year
Sponsored by insight6
Winner: Premier Sailing

Large Hotel of the Year
Sponsored By Ensors Chartered Accountants
Winner: The Maids Head Hotel

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
Sponsored by KNP
Winner: Pensthorpe Natural Park

Marketing Campaign of the Year
Sponsored by Pear Out Of Home
Winner: Pensthorpe Natural Park

New Tourism Business of the Year
Sponsored by Larking Gowen
Winner: Watatunga Wildlife Reserve

Pub of the Year
Sponsored by Everard Cole
Winner: Alma Inn & Dining Rooms

Resilience and Innovation Award
Sponsored by Howes Percival
Winner: Potters Resorts

Small Hotel of the Year
Sponsored by John Doe of Diss
Winner: The Hog Hotel

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
Sponsored by Norfolk & Suffolk Tourist Attractions
Winner: Hippersons Boatyard

Taste of East of England Award
Sponsored By Adnams
Winner: The Lion Brasserie

Outstanding Contribution to Tourism
Sponsored by Hoseasons
Winner: Alan Carr