Is Wildheart Animal Sanctuary Home To Next VisitEngland Tourism Superstar?

VisitEngland has announced the 10 finalists to make the shortlist of its annual search to find the unsung hero of England’s tourism industry. 

VisitEngland’s Tourism Superstar competition, now in its 13th year, seeks out champions working in tourism who provide the most memorable experiences for visitors, as well as showcasing the variety and quality of England’s tourism offer and destinations.

Once again, the Isle of Wight is firmly in the running to bring home the prestigious award.

Zeb Fisher from Wildheart Animal Sanctuary is one of 10 finalists selected from dozens of submissions from employers and destinations across England covering all areas of tourism.

The finalists will go on to compete for the title of Tourism Superstar, decided by a public vote and run on VisitEngland’s website.

Isle of Wight nominees have featured in the national competition before, with winners including Red Funnel’s Jim O’Reilly in 2018 and Hovertravel’s Lorry Middleton in 2020, while Isle of Wight Ramblers were runners-up in 2024.

Lee Saudan, Head of Marketing at Wildheart Animal Sanctuary said:

"We are so incredibly proud of our Head of Learning and Discovery, Zeb Fisher for her selection as a finalist!

"Zeb has been a vital part of our team for almost 3 years, during which time she, together with her team, have grown and developed our education and group offering, bringing the animal world to life in a fun and engaging way for so many, whilst highlighting the plight that our animals face across the globe.

"For her to be recognised for all of her efforts in this way means the world to us, she is already a Superstar to us!"

Will Myles, MD at Visit Isle of Wight said:

"To be shortlisted again in the fantastic VisitEngland Tourism Superstar Awards, the Isle of Wight has shown that it has the quality of people and product available here.

"Congratulations to Zeb for making it to this stage. It is, in itself, an amazing achievement. We hope that Islanders will support Zeb and the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary by voting online when the website goes live in February."

VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said:

"Tourism Superstar provides the public with an opportunity to celebrate individuals within England’s tourism industry who go above and beyond time-after-time to give visitors truly exceptional experiences.

"From creating memorable stays in castles to showcasing England’s brilliant museums and art galleries, from running animal sanctuaries that connect people with nature to providing fantastic experiences on heritage railways, the finalists truly go the extra mile in their role as tourism ambassadors.

"We have the most fantastic, passionate people working in England’s tourism industry who continually raise the customer service bar.

"We congratulate the 10 finalists and wish them every success in the competition, though of course they are all superstars already.

"Please do show your support for our outstanding finalists and cast your votes once the VisitEngland Tourism Superstar public competition opens."