Telford International Centre is shortlisted for national accolade

VisitEngland included the venue among its finalists who will go forward to compete for a national Award for Excellence.

It has been shortlisted in the category for Business Events Venue of the Year alongside Warwick Conferences and Winter Gardens Blackpool.

The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence champion the very best of England’s tourism industry celebrating quality, innovation, best practice and exceptional customer service.

The 48 finalists, announced following a rigorous judging process by handpicked tourism industry experts, now go on to compete in 16 core categories at the national awards, with the Caravan and Motorhome Club announced as headline sponsor.

VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said: “I am always impressed by the tourism businesses who make it onto our list of finalists with their innovative approaches to ensuring people have the most amazing experiences whilst delivering outstanding customer service across England. I congratulate all the finalists and wish them the very best of luck.”

Applications to the awards were put forward for judging from businesses including hotels, self-catering accommodation providers, B&Bs, glamping operators, visitor attractions, restaurants, pubs and museums.

In addition to the 16 core categories, four special awards are also being presented including an ‘Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award’, a ‘Travel Content Award’, the ‘Tourism Superstar Award’ and a ‘TXGB Trailblazer Award’.

All finalists will be invited to attend the national awards ceremony at Rum Warehouse at The Titanic Hotel, Liverpool on June 5.

Other nominees in different categories include the likes of Colchester Castle, The Battle of Britain Memorial, Kent and Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter.

The latest news for Telford International Centre comes after Shropshire’s dominance the 2024 West Midlands Tourism Awards.

And it also comes after Shropshire was named as a ‘destination to watch’ by travel trade organisation ABTA, in January and follows a report from Visit Shropshire in December which revealed tourism boosted the local economy by £767.23 million last year.

Mark Hooper, of visit Shropshire, recently said: “The success is fantastic for Shropshire and it again shows the strength of the tourism scene here and our hospitality businesses. With regards to those awards we have outperformed everywhere in the West Midlands, including some big cities. Tourism here really is going from strength to strength and the aim is to continue that momentum."