THE search is now on to find York's best tourism businesses.

Entries are now open for the us Visit York Tourism Awards 2023 to celebrate the firms and individuals who deliver a great visitor experience.

The 2022 awards to place at York Racecourse on March 15 and next year the awards will return to Knavesmire on March 23.

This year, there were 15 winners, and eligible winners were put forward to the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.

Here, Middletons Hotel’s Adam Wardale went on to win the national Unsung Hero award.

Other winners included Gray’s Court Hotel and The Bow Room Restaurant, The Deathly Dark Tours, The JORVIK Viking Centre, Mother Shipton’s Cave, York Maze, The Bloody Tour of York, York Gin , The Grand, York , Heritage Escapes, Tower Gueshouse, Wigwam Holidays Ball Hall Farm, and The Web Adventure Park.

Next year will see 16 categories covering a range of tourism-related activities, with two new categories-‘Cultural Venue of the Year’ and ‘Ethical, Responsible & Sustainable Tourism Award’.

From hotels to restaurants, pubs to visitor attractions; businesses and cultural organisations across the city are being urged to enter.

The deadline is Friday August 26 for entries to be submitted online at www.visityork.org/awards.

The awards are free to enter for Visit York members and £150+VAT for non-members.

Once all the entries are in, a panel of independent judges will decide on the final shortlist and winners through a mix of mystery shopping and rigorous analysis against the entry criteria.

Businesses can check the eligibility criteria and enter the Visit York Tourism Awards online at www.visityork.org/awards.

Sarah Loftus, Managing Director at Make It York, said: “The Visit York Tourism Awards celebrate the very best in tourism, hospitality and culture in our city and surrounding areas.

"For many years, winning these awards have had huge benefits for businesses both regionally and nationally, with many awards being automatically put forward for the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence."

Councillor Darryl Smalley, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Communities at City of York Council, said: “York’s tourism industry plays a major role in our city’s economy and culture, with a vibrant offering, which sets us apart from other cities.

"There are many excellent local businesses and organisations who make our city world-renowned to millions of visitors every year and .

"The Tourism Awards are a great way to celebrate their wonderful work and the contribution they make to our great city. I would encourage all across the industry to apply to ensure their efforts can be rightly recognised.”