Why businesses should enter tourism awards
You may already be on the map but winning or being shortlisted for one of the many national and regional tourism awards will REALLY put you on the map!
Here are our top reasons why…
Awards increase your competitive edge
- There are thousands of tourism businesses across Britain – from pubs and hotels to visitor attractions and recreation providers – but how do you stand out from the crowd?
- Winning an award, being shortlisted or even nominated is one way as it acts as a third-party endorsement for your business that differentiates you from your competitors. It’s a stamp of approval and a sign of quality for potential customers which could lead to increased bookings.
Awards are a great marketing and PR tool
- Awards can be an overlooked tool in your marketing strategy. Maximise PR exposure by updating your marketing materials, adding the award logo to your website, social media and any other marketing material.
- Post about your success on your social and web channels – not forgetting that being shortlisted is just as much an accolade to shout about as being a winner. And if you win, issue a press release to relevant media – and some awards have media partners that will automatically run coverage on the winners.
Awards help retain and attract employees
- With the hospitality trade being particularly hard hit by the COVID pandemic, it’s more important than ever to find ways to retain staff and attract new recruits.
- Awards recognise the hard work of everyone involved and winning is proven to boost employee motivation and staff morale. This can be maximised by making sure staff feel they get the recognition they deserve by celebrating your victory. Invite employees to the awards ceremony or dinner so they can network and enjoy the night out.
- An award win will also attract future talent to your company as you will be seen as a great place to work, with fantastic career prospects.
Awards help you reflect and improve
- Going through an award application doubles up as a useful business management exercise. The process forces you to look at your company from a different perspective and compare yourself to your competitors. You will need to make sure that you stand out from the competition whether that’s through diversity, growth, innovation, customer service or strategic thinking. Getting this all down on paper will help you think about ways you could be doing things better and identify areas for improvement.
- Some award programmes also offer feedback which could help identify areas for improvement.
If you would like a FREE evaluation of your business and our recommendations on which awards to enter, please give us a call on 01603 219191 or fill out our enquiry form.
Photo Credit: Visit North Norfolk