Press Releases
Top Tourism award for National Slate Museum
Date:
2018-04-20The National Slate Museum in Llanberis, Wales has been rated Best Overall Tour Feature in the UK.
The Award was given earlier this week at a prestigious ceremony in Glasgow by Irish coach tour operator, CIE Tours International, which bring visitors to the museum every week, and which recognises the quality of the UK’s hotels and visitor attractions by giving an Award of Excellence to those who have received a greater than 90% customer satisfaction rating.
The Company gives special recognition to the best performing tourism provider in 11 categories and the National Slate Museum scooped the Best Overall Tour Feature, meaning that it was judged best in the UK by the 15,000 visitors CIE brought to the UK in 2017.
CIE launched its UK awards five years ago, replicating its long running awards in Ireland. Since then, the numbers of venues and attractions achieving a higher than 90% satisfaction rating in the UK has grown from 32 to 50. In 2017, the company enjoyed a 10% rise in visitors on their UK tours bringing 15,000 visitors to the UK. During the year, its tours visited 100 visitor attractions and 60 hotels across the UK, paying a total of £11 million to its UK suppliers, including buying around 150,000 bed nights.
Elizabeth Crabill, Chief Executive, CIE Tours International commented: “The growth we are experiencing in the UK is fantastic and the level of customer satisfaction achieved by our suppliers plays a vital role in our success, which is why it is gratifying to recognise excellence in this, our fifth annual UK Awards. All of the recipients play a role in our growth by welcoming our visitors and ensuring that they have a memorable experience. We anticipate that demand for our UK tours will grow significantly in 2018, demonstrating the significance and growing appeal of Britain’s heritage and quality customer experience.”
“The increase in the number of awards reflects how providers have incorporated our quality focus and that overall quality levels are increasing. This is great for our customers and the overall industry. Our visitors from North America are accustomed to very high levels of service and to achieve a rating above 90% from our travellers is very meaningful. The rise in standards in only five years in our UK providers is remarkable and it proves that people’s efforts in striving for high standards pays off.”
On receiving the award for the site, Dr Dafydd Roberts, Keeper, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have won this award, especially as it has come directly from our visitors. We’ve received awards of merit for customer service from CIE before but this is the first time we have received the overall best tour feature which we are hugely proud of. The award reflects the commitment that our staff have to providing quality visits for groups and all our visitors.”
The National Slate Museum is open daily April–October and Sunday–Friday from November to March 10am–4pm. For further details please visit the website at www.museumwales.ac.uk or contact the museum on (029) 20573707 slate@museumwales.ac.uk. Entry to the Museum is free, thanks to the support of the Welsh Government.
For more information, please contact Julie Williams on (029) 20573707/ Julie.williams@museumwales.ac.uk or Ilya Scott of Real PR. Tel: 07799 416476 or email ilya@real-pr.co.uk.
Notes to Editors
Photo caption 1: Dr Dafydd Roberts, Keeper of the National Slate Museum receives the CIE award from Elizabeth Crabill, Chief Excecutive of CIE Tours International Ltd
CIE Tours International is Ireland’s leading inbound tour operator, having brought more than three million visitors from North America to tour Ireland over the course of its 86-year history. In recent years, CIE has expanded its offering to include Scotland and the rest of the UK as a highlighted destination. Several new tours are being introduced in 2018, including one featuring the Outer Hebrides and Gaelic West, a new UK family tour and a new luxury Scotland tour. www.cietours.com
2017 Award Winners
Best Overall Hotel |
Marriott Kensington Hotel |
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Best Overall Hotel Accommodation |
Macdonald Holyrood Hotel |
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Best Overall Hotel Service and Hospitality |
Atholl Palace Hotel |
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Hotel Awards of Excellence |
Norton House Hotel & Spa |
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Carden Park Hotel |
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Queen Hotel Chester |
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Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, London Victoria |
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Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club |
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Best Overall Walking Tour |
Windsor Tourist Guides Ltd |
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Best Overall Tour Feature |
National Slate Museum |
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Best Special Event |
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo |
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Best Overall Castle Experience |
Alnwick Castle |
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Best Overall Loch Cruise |
Jacobite Cruise |
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Best Overall Visitor Attraction |
Windsor Castle |
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Best Overall Dinner & Entertainment |
Welsh Banquet at Cardiff Castle |
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Best Overall Heritage Site |
Roman Baths |
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Visit Awards of Excellence |
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Urquhart Castle |
Sheepdog Trials - Gwyn Lightfoot |
Castle Howard |
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Skara Brae |
Alnwick Garden |
St Paul's Cathedral |
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Cardiff Castle |
Glamis Castle |
Inveraray Castle |
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Hampton Court Palace |
Bamburgh Castle |
Lanhydrock House |
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Stonehenge |
Stirling Castle |
Dunvegan Castle |
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Tower of London |
Dunrobin Castle |
Tintern Abbey |
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Eilean Donan Castle |
Pembroke Castle |
York Minster |
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Palace of Holyroodhouse |
Italian Chapel |
Lovespoon Workshop |
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Edinburgh Castle |
Mount Stuart House |
Harlech Castle |
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Minack Theatre |
St Davids Cathedral |
Conwy Castle |
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Blair Castle |
Sheep Dog Trials Leault Farm |
St Magnus Cathedral |