It has been a good year for tourism across our region.

Surveys and confidence monitors have reported an increase in the number of visitors compared to 2016 while many business owners have expressed overall satisfaction with performance.

There is a strong sense of positivity going into next year as the focus on UK holidays continues to grow.

It is on the back of this optimism that we welcome you to the Norfolk and Suffolk Tourism Awards 2018 supplement.

The awards are a celebration of all the region has to offer and look to reward companies and individuals who live and love the place they call home.

This is the 14th year of celebrating the awards in Norfolk, but the first time that the two counties have been merged.

All indications are that it has been a huge success.

In these pages you'll find some of the top tourism destinations that both counties have to offer covering a range of categories from accommodation and theme parks to restaurants and museums.

It is said that competition breeds excellence and we have seen a number of business investing heavily in their product in recent times. In one of the biggest announcements, Richardsons recently said work on a new £10m holiday 'Super Park' would get underway in Hemsby after planning permission for the development was granted.

Tourism awards headline sponsor Hoseasons has consistently said that property owners who had invested in their accommodation and facilities in recent years were the ones seeing the greatest returns.

However, it is important that, instead of looking at one another as competitors, we work together to attract holidaymakers from other areas of the country.

The family that stays at a self-catering lodge will probably eat out, will possibly hire a day boat on the Broads and will also visit a number of tourist attractions.

The benefits are there for us all to enjoy.

We would like to thank everyone who has taken part in the awards this year as well as the sponsors who have given us their support.

We also look forward to seeing you on February 08, 2018 in celebrating the winners.

Andrew Stone, EDP Tourism and Broads correspondent