We’re Wild About Leicestershire’s Tourism Superstar

We know that the people who run our attractions are amazing, but sometimes it’s wonderful to be reminded of that fact. 

Vote now for Sharon Redrobe in the Tourism Superstar Awards! (voting closes at midnight on 22 March)

Every year the Daily Mirror and Visit England recognise the dedication and passion of those working in the English tourism industry by select their Tourism Superstar. A shortlist of ten people who have gone the extra mile to ensure that tourists in England have an amazing and unforgettable visitor experience are selected and put to a public vote.

This year we are delighted to say that Dr Sharon Redrobe OBE has been nominated as one of the final 10. Sharon is CEO of Twycross Zoo, a job she has been doing since 2013, and in this time she has seen the zoo go from strength to strength, becoming one of the region’s premier visitor attractions.

This is the 10^th year of the Tourism Superstar Awards and they return this year after missing 2021. This year they are specifically recognising the huge efforts made by teams across the industry in the face of the global COVID pandemic.

Leicestershire was one of the hardest hit areas during the pandemic, and while many businesses simply closed their doors and used the Government’s furlough scheme, this wasn’t an option for Twycross. The Zoo’s 500+ animals still needed to be cared for, but on top of this, Sharon was still looking at ways for the zoo to come back brighter.

Using her unique combination of scientific rigour, business acumen, and of course her dedication to animal welfare, she launched a 20-year £55 million masterplan which includes the opening of a new Gruffalo Discovery Land at the Zoo this Spring along with securing a £19.9 million Government award to develop the UK’s first and only National Science and Conversation Centre aimed at fighting the global extinction crisis.

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All this while adapting to changing government guidelines, safely re-opening the outdoor areas of Twycross visitor destination for families and securing £450k in public donations, helping to ensure the future of the zoo, which at times during the year of closure, seemed on unstable ground.

Twycross has long been a leader in the animal welfare and conservation, recognised globally as the ‘World Primate Centre’ and the only zoo in the UK where visitors can see all four species of ‘Great Ape’ – gorilla, orang outan, chimpanzee and bonobo. But it is also a great supporter of tourism in the region, as Sharon leads the Leicestershire Tourism Advisory Board and remains a great supporter of our Uncover the Story campaign.

To cast your vote for Sharon in the Tourism Superstar Award, just visit the Daily Mirror website.

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