Tourism organisation, Visit London, has revamped its annual awards to increase their profile and take into account the changes in the tourism industry.

The existing London Tourism Awards are to be renamed The Visit London Awards and a low-key private presentation ceremony will be replaced with a black-tie evening event to be held at the Natural History Museum on 18 October.

The awards will be funded by ticket sales and the sponsorship of the name and individual categories.

Two new awards are also being added this year. The Best Event category will open the awards to the business visitor sector and recognises the importance of events to the city’s tourism industry, while the Nightlife award acknowledges that London’s entertainment offering – from bars and nightclubs to music and theatre – is revered worldwide.

Chief executive, David Campbell, said: “We need to have an awards scheme that reflects London’s position as a world city with the biggest concentration of attractions in the world.

“At Visit London we are extremely proud to work with some of the best accommodation providers, museums and galleries, restaurants, event organisers and nightlife venues in the world – now we will have an awards scheme worthy of them.”

Entries must be submitted by the 26 July. Details: www.visitlondon.com/corporate