Some of the Bay's top tourist destinations were announced as finalists for the 2017 Hawke's Bay Tourism Industry Awards yesterday.
The awards, which recognise local tourism providers delivering exceptional visitor experiences, were open to Hawke's Bay Tourism Partner Programme members across all tourism sectors.
The entries were judged by an independent panel made up of Hawke's Bay Regional councillor and Hawke's Bay Tourism board member Fenton Wilson, Chamber of Commerce CEO Wayne Walford, Consultancy Firm Reputation Matters managing director Liz Read and Destination Rotorua general manager Oscar Nathan.
Mr Walford said as the Bay continued to develop and mature, the process of deciding a winning tourism product for each of the categories was becoming harder.
"Having new and exciting quintessential Hawkes Bay businesses added to the tourism landscape is exciting."