On Monday (15 December),VisitEngland revealed the 10 finalists to make the shortlist of its Tourism Superstar competition and we’re delighted to say that our Badger Hide Guide volunteers are among them!
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, including us, 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, so we’ll be sure to share how to vote for us when the time comes.
“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 Director, Andrew Stokes
I am incredibly proud of our team of RSPB Badger Hide Guide volunteers for making the final of the prestigious Visit England Tourism Superstar competition. They are all such stars. The hide wouldn’t be the success that it is without our volunteer team providing their warm, welcoming approach and passionate love of wildlife. I’m very lucky to work with such a dedicated bunch. Thanks to their hard work, we’re able to welcome around 550 people a year to our Badger Hide at Wild Haweswater, to experience one the most iconic, but often most secretive British mammals. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the people who book, when they get their first sight of a Badger, is very special. We’re delighted to be able to offer this connection to nature for people of all ages.
Our Badger Hide is available to book April-October and dates are already live for April and May 2026 on our events website here: events.rspb.org.uk/haweswater
The full list of 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
- RSPB Badger Hide Guide Volunteers 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, so they’re coming to film our Badger Hide Guide team in January.
Voting will run until the end of English Tourism Week which in 2026 takes place from the 13-22 March. 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. Don’t forget to vote for us when the time comes!
[Image credits – 1) Badger Hide Guide Volunteer Gillian Hammersley, taken by Annabel Rushton and 2) A visitor enjoys a close view of a Badger from our hide, taken by Alastair Thomson]
– Blog by Annabel Rushton, RSPB People and Partnerships Manager at Wild Haweswater. Posted 17 December 2025
