On Wednesday 18th June 2008 BBC North West Tonight's Ranvir Singh will be announcing the winners at the fifth annual Lancashire and Blackpool Tourism Awards ceremony which will take place at Ewood Park, Blackburn.

If you feel your business deserves recognition, now is the time to start thinking about entering one of our thirteen award categories. What better way to motivate yourselves and your team than being rewarded by your industry and peers. A great opportunity to stand out from the crowd!

The categories for 2008 are as follows:

• B&B/Guest Accommodation of the Year
• Small Hotel of the Year (up to 50 bedrooms)
• Large Hotel of the Year (over 35 bedrooms)
• Small Visitor Attraction of the Year (under 50,000 visitors)
• Large Visitor Attraction of the Year (over 50,000 visitors)
• Caravan Holiday Park of the Year
• Self Catering Holiday of the Year
• Tourism Website of the Year
• Taste Lancashire 08 Award
• Business Tourism Award of the Year
• Sustainable Tourism Award
• Best Tourism Experience of the Year *
• Best Tourism Event of the Year * - this category will be determined by public vote.

The following categories will be determined at North West level:

• Tourism for All Award
• Public Space Award
• Excellence in Customer Service
• Travel Journalist of the Year
• Tourist Information of the Year

*One of the winners of these two categories will go forward to represent Lancashire and Blackpool at the England's Northwest Tourism Awards joining all the winners of the other eleven categories.

Entry is open to all tourism businesses and organisations in Lancashire and Blackpool (you do not need to be a member of the Tourist Board to enter). Please note winners of a category in 2007/08 are ineligible to enter the same category in this year's awards.

All entries are judged by individual meritand undergo a procedure that incororates a combination of mystery shopping, arranged site visits and interviews as deemed appropriate by the judges. The judging panel consists of a number of tourism-related and business sector specialists from across Lancashire and Blackpool.

Winners in each category go forward to represent Lancashire and Blackpool at the England's Northwest Tourism Awards in October 2008. Winners of the regional awards are eligible to enter the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence which are
announced early nect year.Closing date for all entries - Friday 18th April 2008To enter Click Here