Cheshire’s BeWILDerwood and Chester Zoo were the big winners on the night the county’s tourism awards.
Cheshire’s visitor economy was celebrated in style on Thursday night as the winners of the Visit Cheshire Tourism Awards 2026 were announced at a sell-out ceremony.
An immaculate country house hotel, a world-renowned zoo and a popular woodland adventure park were among the major winners at the event, which attracted 350 guests from across Cheshire and Warrington.
Organised by Marketing Cheshire, this year’s awards attracted a record number of entries, with judges selecting winners across 19 highly competitive categories.
The Large Visitor Attraction of the Year award went to BeWILDerwood Cheshire, the 70-acre woodland adventure park located beside Cholmondeley Castle.
Judges commended the attraction’s high standards of cleanliness and maintenance, its inclusive range of activities and equipment for families, and its commitment to responsible and sustainable tourism.
Chester Zoo picked up two awards on the night, following a year when they welcomed more than 2.1 million visitors last year – the highest attendance in its history.
The conservation charity was a clear winner of the Regenerative Tourism Award, with judges praising the zoo’s ‘outstanding, holistic approach to regenerative tourism –combining operational excellence with global conservation leadership’.
The team behind the zoo’s new Heart of Africa habitat, opened in Spring 2025, also collected the Team of the Year award.
In addition, Chester Zoo was highly commended in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category.
Jamie Christon, chairman of Marketing Cheshire, said: “Congratulations to all our fantastic winners.
“Latest data shows the visitor economy is worth £4.32 billion to the Cheshire and Warrington economy and supports almost 40,000 jobs.
“So, it’s important we celebrate the contribution tourism makes to the region and our communities, and to recognise the brilliant people who are working incredibly hard in challenging times for our industry”.
For the full story, see Chester Standard