Lancashire Chef amongst VisitEngland Tourism Superstar finalists for 2026
VisitEngland has today, 15 December, revealed the 10 finalists to make the shortlist of its Tourism Superstar competition.
Amongst the finalists is Maurizio Bocchi, owner and head chef at La Locanda in Gisburn, Lancashire. Maurizio is one of our Taste Lancashire Ambassadors and the restaurant was crowned Bronze winner in the Taste of England award at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence in 2024.
VisitEngland’s Tourism Superstar competition, now in its 14th year, seeks out champions working in tourism who provide fantastic experiences for visitors, as well as showcasing the variety and quality of England’s tourism offer, businesses and destinations.
The 10 finalists, individuals or teams, were selected from dozens of submissions from Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs), destinations, employers and colleagues and cover all areas of tourism.
The finalists will now go on to compete for the title of Tourism Superstar 2026 decided by a public vote and run on VisitEngland’s website in February and March 2026.
VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said: “Our Tourism Superstar competition truly showcases the diversity of roles in our wonderful industry with all those involved demonstrating their passion for their places of work and destinations. It is their commitment to making visitors leave with magical memories that we are celebrating, and I encourage the public to show their support by voting for their favourite superstar.
“From volunteers, guides, leaders in astro-tourism to chefs, holiday park employees and events teams, these finalists are already superstars. They strive to continuously improve the visitor experience, and I wish them every success when the competition opens in February 2026. Please do cast your vote!”
VisitEngland Tourism Superstar 2026 finalists are:
- Jimmy Nicol, volunteer guide at Raby Castle, County Durham
- Hull & East Yorkshire Volunteers (HEY! Volunteers), supporting culture, tourism and heritage, East Riding of Yorkshire
- Dan Monk, Director of Astrophotography Kielder Observatory, Northumberland
- Maurizio Bocchi, chef at La Locanda, Lancashire
- Coast & Country Parks Holiday Connoisseurs, Coast & Country Parks – Somerset, Devon & Cornwall
- Leicester’s Festivals and Events Team, Leicestershire
- Mick Hurst, Battle of Evesham Historical Events and Reenactments, Worcestershire
- Sheila Hannon, Show of Strength Theatre Walks, Bristol
- Badger Hide Guides Volunteers at Wild Haweswater, the RSPB at Wild Haweswater, Cumbria
- Cheryl Cade, Tour Guide, Norwich and Norfolk
The public will be able to vote for their favourite superstar on VisitEngland’s website from early February when the competition officially opens. Short films of all the finalists, carrying out their duties in their tourism roles and promoting their local destinations, will be shown on VisitEngland’s website to support with voting. Voting will run until the end of English Tourism Week which in 2026 takes place from the 13-22 March 2026.
The finalist with the highest number of votes is crowned winner at the end of the competition with the Tourism Superstar award handed out at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2026 event in the summer.
For more information on VisitEngland’s Tourism Superstar competition go to VisitEngland Tourism Superstar Awards UK
Tourism is one of England’s largest and most valuable industries, delivering economic growth right across the country.