A YOUNG Teesdale entrepreneur’s company providing Mandarin-speaking guides for Chinese visitors to Britain has been shortlisted for a top tourism award.

Beiwei 55, founded two years ago by 26-year-old former Teesdale School pupil Jay Smith, of Barningham, has beaten hundreds of applicants to reach the finals of this year’s VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.

The company will compete against three other finalists – Blenheim Palace, the Lake District China Forum and the Lowry Hotel in Manchester –for the 'Great Chinese Welcome of the Year' title at VistEngland’s awards ceremony at London’s Hilton Waldorf Hotel on April 24.

Beiwei 55, based in Newcastle and London, was voted the best new business idea in the North-East when NatWest launched its Entrepreneurial Spark scheme on Tyneside last autumn.

Jay set up the company with former classmate Eve Baker after leaving Leeds University with a first-class degree in Chinese and working for a tourist organisation in China.

It now employs seven Mandarin-speaking guides offering tours all over Britain, has a 100 per cent five-star rating on TripAdvisor, and also provides professional translation, recruitment and corporate event services for companies hosting Chinese visitors.

"We’re delighted to have been nominated for the company’s work in welcoming Chinese tourists to the UK," said Jay. "Our native British Mandarin-speaking guides are unique, and we hope the award nomination will help us grow so that Chinese visitors coming to the UK can have a local, authentic experience with a Mandarin-speaking Brit when visiting all parts of the UK."

More than 300,000 Chinese tourists visited Britain in 2016 and VisitEngland – formerly known as the English Tourist Board – believes the total could pass the half-million mark this year.

Sally Balcombe, VisitEngland chief executive, said: "The awards shine a spotlight on an industry driven by the highest-calibre people and organisations who deliver unforgettable experiences for visitors, raising the profile of England as a world-class destination and driving the economic benefits of tourism across the regions.

"Awards for Excellence finalists exemplify outstanding tourism talent and distinguished businesses throughout England. We received more than 600 truly impressive applications this year and there’s absolutely no doubt that the finalists represent the very best in the industry. I’d like to congratulate all the finalists and wish them the very best of luck."