THE Visit Pembrokeshire Croeso Awards have experienced a significant increase in applications for the 2026 awards ceremony, highlighting the continued strength, diversity and ambition of Pembrokeshire’s tourism and hospitality sector.

After a two-year break, the 2026 Visit Pembrokeshire Croeso Awards, will be back this year. Featuring 17 categories including ‘Best Hotel’, ‘Best Place to Eat’, ‘Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award’ and ‘Rising Star’, the prestigious Croeso Awards will return to the Atrium at Pembrokeshire College on October 29, 2026.

The Awards celebrate excellence across the county’s visitor economy while continuing to invest in the next generation of hospitality professionals. In February, the organisers were thrilled to announce that celebrity Colin Jackson CBE, Welsh silver Olympic medallist, will be hosting the event as compère.

At the heart of the Awards is the partnership between Pembrokeshire College and this year’s culinary partners The Celtic Collection - a collaboration offering students a rare opportunity to gain real-world experience in a live event environment, learning from front-of-house teams and event specialists whilst planning and delivering the live event.

More than just an awards ceremony, the Croeso Awards are uniquely linked to an eight-month mentoring programme delivered in partnership with The Celtic Collection. The initiative provides invaluable hands-on experience and industry mentoring for Pembrokeshire College students preparing for careers in tourism and hospitality.

This year, Visit Pembrokeshire made a concerted effort to widen participation by reinforcing that the awards are open to all tourism businesses across Pembrokeshire - not exclusively Visit Pembrokeshire members.

With no application fee, free finalist tickets, and 17 award categories available, the organisation also opened applications earlier than previous years to give businesses additional time to apply ahead of the busy spring season.

Applications increased by a third on submissions for the 2024 Croeso Awards reflecting growing engagement from businesses across the county.

Emma Thornton, CEO of Visit Pembrokeshire, said:

“In previous years, we have seen many of the same businesses submitting thoughtful and high-quality applications. While we welcome and are incredibly grateful for the continued support of our longstanding applicants, we are equally keen to showcase the breadth of outstanding businesses across Pembrokeshire that are creating exceptional experiences for visitors.

“With the vast majority of tourism businesses in Pembrokeshire being micro-businesses, we truly appreciate the time and commitment required to complete an application. The increase in entries this year is hugely encouraging and demonstrates the passion, resilience and innovation that exists across our tourism industry. We wish all applicants the very best of luck.”

With applications now closed, the judging process is officially underway. Independent industry experts from outside Pembrokeshire will assess submissions across all categories to determine this year’s finalists and winners.

The official shortlist will be announced on July 1, 2026. Visit Pembrokeshire is encouraging businesses, supporters and the wider community to follow its channels for updates on the awards, finalist announcements and the ongoing mentoring journey with Pembrokeshire College students.

Visit Pembrokeshire is a business led public private sector partnership providing tourism leadership and advocacy, destination marketing and business support.