THE MAN who is the brainchild behind the Battle of Evesham Festival has been shortlisted for a major national tourism award.
Mick Hurst, from Harvington, has been revealed as one of 10 national finalists to be shortlisted in the annual VisitEngland Tourism Superstar competition.
Nominated by Visit Worcestershire, it recognises his dedication to celebrating one of the county’s most significant historical events while boosting the local visitor economy.
Now in its 14th year, the awards seek 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 finalists, which were selected from dozens of submissions, 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.
Developed over just seven years, the Battle of Evesham Festival has become a firmly established fixture in Worcestershire’s events calendar, welcoming more than 50,000 visitors to the heart of Evesham each August.
“It was a complete surprise,” said Mick, who is the festival director.
“Being shortlisted is a fantastic honour – the exposure will bring even more visitors to Evesham.
“I’m up against people from some big professional organisations in this shortlist, and if I win, it’ll be thanks to our fantastic ‘battle team’ of committee members, volunteers, and of course, the support of the town’s voting public,” he said.
Mick’s experience in heritage tourism has helped shape Worcestershire’s visitor offer, including supporting the launch of the Visit Historic Worcestershire initiative, which brings the county’s stories to life and encourages more visitors to explore the region.
VisitEngland director Andrew Stokes added: “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 cast your vote.”
The finalist with the highest number of votes will be 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.
Visit visitbritain.org/working-us/visitenglands-tourism-superstar-award for more information.
