Southport and Sefton businesses and attractions are once again flying the flag for our area after the 2026 Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards Shortlist was announced.
Southport has TWO entries in the Event / Festival of the Year category, with public voting opening on Monday (19th October 2026): Southport Flower Show and Southport 2026: Elegantly Eccentric, which has produced devents including Lightport, the Big Top Festival and Books Alive, which is due to appear this October Halfg Term.
Riverside Holiday Park in Southport has a chance of winning in three separate categories.
They are a Finalist in the Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year Category.
Lily Hibbert, from Riverside Holiday Park, is Shortlisted for Tourism Young Person of the Year, while Gill Tomlinson from Riverside Holiday Park is a contender for the Unsung Hero Award.
Sunnyside Guest House, on Bath Street in Southport, has been shortlisted for Small Accommodation Provider of the Year.
Sunnyside Guest House along with Salt and Tar in Bootle are both Finalists for the Regenerative Tourism Award.
Santa’s Secret Forest, which opened in Hightown last year, is a contender for the New Tourism Business Award.
The Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards showcase the businesses, people, attractions, events and experiences helping to drive the visitor economy which is worth £6.83billion to the region.
The awards continue to receive strong support from across the tourism and hospitality industry, with entries representing the breadth and diversity of the Liverpool City Region’s visitor offer.
From accommodation providers and attractions to food and drink businesses, events, entertainment venues and the individuals who make exceptional visitor experiences possible, the shortlist recognises the quality, creativity and commitment of businesses and people across the city region.
The Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards provide an opportunity to celebrate the contribution made by the visitor economy while shining a spotlight on the businesses and individuals delivering memorable experiences for visitors.
The awards are independently judged, with the process including expert judging panels and, where relevant, interviews and mystery shopping. The public will be invited to vote for the Event/Festival of the Year category. As well as recognising achievement, the judging process is designed to provide valuable feedback to businesses, helping them continue to develop their offer and raise standards across the visitor economy.
Natalie Wyatt, Managing Director of Liverpool City Region Destination Partnership, said:
“The Tourism Awards are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the businesses, individuals and experiences that are helping to make the Liverpool City Region one of the UK’s most exciting and successful visitor destinations.
“Our visitor economy is built on the talent, creativity, investment and commitment of people right across the Liverpool City Region, and these awards give us an opportunity to celebrate that contribution while showcasing the quality of our offer to audiences both nationally and internationally.”
Katie Bentley, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Communications, Liverpool Business Improvement District, Company, headline sponsor, said:
“Congratulations to everyone who has been shortlisted for this year’s Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards. Being recognised at this stage is a fantastic achievement and reflects the quality, ambition and commitment of the people and businesses that make our visitor economy so strong.
Tourism plays a vital role in the success of our city region, driving jobs, investment and growth while creating the experiences that bring visitors back time and again. We are proud to support these awards and shine a light on the people behind that success, celebrating the creativity, passion and hard work that continues to strengthen our reputation as a world-class destination.
We look forward to celebrating with all this year’s finalists in February.”
2026 SHORTLIST
Small Accommodation Provider of the Year
Aachen Hotel
Sefton Park Hotel
Sunnyside Guest House Southport
Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year
16 Queens Avenue by Happy Days Group
Aparthotel Adagio Liverpool City Centre
Citadines City Centre Liverpool
Riverside Holiday Park
Sidemersey Livings
Staybridge Suites Liverpool
The Hideaway, Wirral
Large Hotel of the Year
Hard Days Night Hotel
Hope Street Hotel
Malmaison Liverpool
Ropewalks Hotel
The Halyard Liverpool
The Municipal Hotel & Spa M Gallery Liverpool
Titanic Hotel Liverpool
Business Events Venue
BOXPARK Liverpool
Crowne Plaza Liverpool City Centre
Hill Dickinson Stadium & Aramark UK
Liverpool Cathedral
New Tourism Business Award
Everton FC – Hill Dickinson Stadium Tours
Drakephotography – Liverpool Photography Walks & Tuition
Santa’s Secret Forest
The Liverpool Storyteller Limited
Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award
Eureka! Science + Discovery
Liverpool John Lennon Airport
Strawberry Field
Regenerative Tourism Award
New Brighton Creative Futures CIC
Salt and Tar, Sefton Council
Speke Hall, National Trust
Strawberry Field
Sunnyside Guest House Southport
Independent Tourism Business of the Year
Daffodil
Hope Street Hotel
Liverpool Food Tours
New Brighton Creative Futures CIC
Reel Tours
Shiverpool
Splash Tours Liverpool
The World of Glass
International Tourism Award
International Beatleweek Festival
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Football Club Stadium Tours & Experiences
Royal Liver Building 360 Tour
The Beatles Story
Taste of Liverpool City Region – Cafe of the Year
Nova Scotia Café Bar
Palm House Cafe
The Bluecoat Café
Taste of Liverpool City Region – Restaurant of the Year
Barnacle Restaurant and Bar
Delifonseca Dockside
Maray Dockside
Panoramic 34
San Carlo Liverpool
The London Carriage Works
Pub of the Year
Dicey Reilly’s Irish Sports Bar
Hotel Anfield
The One O’Clock Gun
The Red Fox, Wirral
Experience of the Year
Classic Beatles Taxi Tour of Liverpool, Fab 4 Taxi Tours
Old Dock Tour, National Museums Liverpool
Royal Albert Dock Splashdown, Splash Liverpool Tours
The Famous Hope Street Shivers Experience, Shiverpool
Event / Festival of the Year (public vote opens on 19th October)
Comic Con Liverpool
Liverpool International Tennis Tournament
Liverpool Irish Festival
Reminisce Festival, Sherdley Park
Southport Flower Show
Southport 2026: Elegantly Eccentric
The Minton Tiles Reveal 2026
The Randox Grand National Festival
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
Eureka! Science + Discovery
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool FC Tours & Experiences
Speke Hall, National Trust
Strawberry Field
The Beatles Story
The World of Glass
Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
Liverpool Beatles Museum
Royal Liver Building 360 Tour
Port Sunlight Village Trust
Entertainment Venue of the Year
BOXPARK Liverpool
Floral Pavilion Theatre & Conference Centre
Future Yard CIC
Liverpool Empire Theatre
Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse
Liverpool Philharmonic
Tourism Young Person of the Year
Jago Lewis, Fab 4 Taxi Tours
Emily Wright, Hilton Liverpool
Holly Bennett, The London Carriage Works
Alexander Ford, The Municipal Hotel & Spa – MGallery Liverpool
Lily Hibbert, Riverside Holiday Park
Unsung Hero Award
Christine Wilson, Aachen Hotel
Sandy Davies, Floral Pavilion Theatre & Conference Centre
James O’Keeffe, Liverpool City Halls
Gill Tomlinson, Riverside Holiday Park
Hayley Forrester, Strawberry Field
Chinthaka Priyadharshana, The Municipal Hotel and Spa – M Gallery Liverpool
The Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards bring together businesses and individuals from across the region’s visitor economy to recognise excellence and celebrate the contribution tourism makes to the Liverpool City Region.
Category winners will also have the opportunity to progress through to the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, providing a route to national recognition.
The 2026 Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 4 February 2027 at Liverpool Cathedral.
The support of the below organisations and the judges is hugely appreciated by all of those who organise the awards and the celebratory event.
Headline Sponsor:
Liverpool Business Improvement District
Associate Sponsors:
Liverpool ONE
Liverpool Football Club
Category Sponsors:
BDO LLP
B&L Creative
City of Liverpool College
Everton Football Club
First Travel Solutions
The Guide Liverpool
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Experience Campus
Liverpool John Lennon Airport
London Northwestern Railway
MSP Global
National Museums Liverpool
PIB Insurance
Ticket Quarter
Virgin Experience Days
Wild Thang
View the shortlist, category criteria and information about the awards and judging process at www.lcrtourismawards.com
For further information, visit www.lcrtourismawards.com
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