Entries for the 2022 Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards are now officially open. Tony McDonough report

Entries for the 2022 Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards are now open with 18 categories on offer this year.

Liverpool Cathedral will play host to the ceremony on Thursday, March 2, 2023. This year’s categories include Hotel of the Year, Experience of the Year as well as best Hidden Gem.

One award being reintroduced is the category for the Business Events Venue of the year. This will reflect the successful return of meetings and conference events following the pandemic.

Thirteen of the winners will then go forward to the Visit England Awards in June 2023. Liverpool restaurant, Lu Ban, won gold at the 2022 ceremony in Birmingham earlier this summer.

Mark Basnett, managing director of event organiser Growth Platform, said: “The visitor economy took a huge hit during the pandemic and faces further challenges over the months ahead.

“That said, recent figures have shown the city region firmly getting back on its feet. These awards are an excellent opportunity to recognise the incredible resilience shown by the sector.”

Headline sponsor will again be Liverpool BID Company, with associate sponsors Liverpool ONE and Lexus Liverpool. It is also being supported by the Visitor Economy Board.

READ MORE: Winners of this year’s awards

Other sponsors confirmed are ACC Liverpool, Bolland & Lowe, BDO, EPIC, The Guide Liverpool, Liverpool Cathedral, Lu Ban Restaurant, Merseyrail, The Metro, National Museums Liverpool, Ticket Quarter and Wirral Chamber of Commerce.

Bill Addy, chief executive at Liverpool BID Company, added: “Liverpool’s tourism industry not only welcomes millions of visitors each year, but it is also one of our most significant economic drivers.

“It is not merely hotels but venues, attractions, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, museums, theatres, galleries and much more. It is also people, individuals who give visitors a warm welcome, who give our city character and help its culture to shine.

“They are our city’s heart and soul, who work passionately and determinedly to put the best of our great city forward.

Applications are now open until Friday, October 14 and any tourism related businesses based in Liverpool city region are invited to apply. For a full list of categories go to www.lcrtourismawards.com