Tourism Windsor Essex Announces Winners of the 11th Annual Best of Windsor Essex Awards
TOURISM WINDSOR ESSEX ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE 11th ANNUAL BEST OF WINDSOR ESSEX AWARDS
Honours Go Out To 25 Award Winners
Today Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island brought the tourism and hospitality industry together to announce the winners of this year’s Best of Windsor Essex Awards, as voted by locals at bestofwindsoressex.ca. Now in its 11th edition, the Best of Windsor Essex Awards continue to celebrate the region’s top businesses, attractions, and experiences that make Windsor Essex a must-visit destination.
This year’s campaign introduced a refreshed look and format for the awards, with both winners and finalists highlighted across all 25 award categories, recognizing the strong depth of experiences across the region. Community engagement for the campaign saw increased demand from locals, with over 8.2k votes cast, representing a 35% increase in participation compared to last year’s awards, with over 1.3k votes cast alone on the final day of voting.
“We are thrilled to once again celebrate the incredible businesses, attractions and experiences that make Windsor Essex such a vibrant destination,” said Gordon Orr, CEO of Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island. “What makes these awards especially meaningful is that they are driven by our community. When locals champion their favourite places to visit, eat, and explore, it helps us create an authentic list of recommendations that visitors can trust as they plan their trips.”
Voting for the awards took place over three weeks between February 10th and March 2nd, giving residents the opportunity to vote for their favourite spots with the Top 7 finalists in all 25 awards across Windsor, Essex County, and Pelee Island.
“This year’s strong response shows just how proud locals are of the businesses and experiences that make our region special,” said Jason Toner, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island. “The Best of Windsor Essex Awards are not only about celebrating excellence, but also about helping visitors discover the places locals love most, creating authentic itineraries that inspire people to explore more of our region.”
The 11th Annual Awards were handed out on the Capitol Theatre stage in Windsor, where finalists from all awards including local businesses, partners, and community leaders gathered to recognize the best of the best across the region.
Each winner received a commemorative plaque, recognition across Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island marketing platforms, inclusion in the 2026/2027 Official Visitor Guide to be released on April 23rd, and a listing on bestofwindsoressex.ca, helping visitors plan memorable experiences across the destination.
With more than 5.7 million visitors travelling to Windsor Essex annually, generating over $878 million in economic impact and supporting nearly 11.6k jobs, the Best of Windsor Essex Awards play an important role in highlighting the businesses and experiences that continue to make the region a welcoming and exciting place to visit.
A full list of winners and finalists can be found at bestofwindsoressex.ca.
You can click here for a list of winners in excel, word and PDF as well as a full list of finalists.
