Southend-on-Sea nominated for tourism ‘Oscars’!

Two reached the hotly contested shortlist in the recent Essex Tourism Awards and one of them - the Pier View Guest House - went through to the regional round being judged this week.  

Those who win the prestigious regional awards are propelled to the glittering national finals to be held in London next Spring!  

Southend's Visitor Information Centre - one of the busiest in the region - and Southend Marine Activities Centre, where people can learn to sail, windsurf and kayak, were both chosen as Essex Tourism Awards finalists.  

Meanwhile, the Pier View Guest House in Royal Terrace, Southend, went on to win its Essex-wide category and eagerly awaits the results of this week's Regional Tourism Awards.  

These gains follow yet another boost to the town's tourism. Southend Pier has won accreditation on the highly respected national Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS).

 This is VisitEngland's quality assessment service for all types of visitor attractions throughout England .

A number of Southend's attractions such as Adventure Island and the town's museums are already accredited, and Southend Pier now joins their success. For each assessment, all aspects of the quality of the visitor experience are included, ranging from the initial enquiry through to the departure. The assessment is conducted by an annual unannounced visit at any time when the attraction is open to the public.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council's Executive Councillor for Enterprise , Tourism and Regeneration, Councillor Ian Robertson says: "All these triumphs are wonderful news, and show how the Council and its partners are working very productively together to continue to improve our tourism offer. 

"It is extremely pleasing to see that we are winning acclaim within Essex , throughout the region and nationally too.  This latest VAQAS accreditation is a terrific achievement for the Pier. The County Tourism Awards also recognise this important industry and celebrate excellence. We did very well to have three finalists at this year's event and it is great for the Pier View to see off the competition from other areas in Essex .  

Ed Findlay, joint owner of the Pier View says: "We are truly honoured that our family business has achieved such a prestigious accolade in winning first prize in the Essex Tourism Awards in the Best Bed & Bed / Guest House category. 

"We are fortunate to have a unique historical building in a beautiful part of Southend which we have refurbished with love and care. We have a small but extremely dedicated team which we thank for helping us to create a warm and welcoming environment for all of our Guests We have worked very hard to make Pier View a success story. We believe in our product and we strive to achieve the highest possible standard and our clientele has rewarded us with repeat business and great feedback.  

"This is a great moment for us and we are very proud of bringing home the award to Southend."