Press Releases

Top Tourism award for National Slate Museum

The 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

 

Best Overall Hotel Accommodation

Macdonald Holyrood Hotel

 

Best Overall Hotel Service and Hospitality

Atholl Palace Hotel

 

   

 

Hotel Awards of Excellence

Norton House Hotel & Spa

 

 

Carden Park Hotel

 

 

Queen Hotel Chester

 

 

Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, London Victoria

 

 

Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club

 

Best Overall Walking Tour

Windsor Tourist Guides Ltd

 

Best Overall Tour Feature

National Slate Museum

 

Best Special Event

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

 

Best Overall Castle Experience

Alnwick Castle

 

Best Overall Loch Cruise

Jacobite Cruise

 

Best Overall Visitor Attraction

Windsor Castle

 

Best Overall Dinner & Entertainment

Welsh Banquet at Cardiff Castle

 

Best Overall Heritage Site

Roman Baths

 

Visit Awards of Excellence

 

 

Urquhart Castle

Sheepdog Trials - Gwyn Lightfoot

Castle Howard

Skara Brae

Alnwick Garden

St Paul's Cathedral

Cardiff Castle

Glamis Castle

Inveraray Castle

Hampton Court Palace

Bamburgh Castle

Lanhydrock House

Stonehenge

Stirling Castle

Dunvegan Castle

Tower of London

Dunrobin Castle

Tintern Abbey

Eilean Donan Castle

Pembroke Castle

York Minster

Palace of Holyroodhouse

Italian Chapel

Lovespoon Workshop

Edinburgh Castle

Mount Stuart House

Harlech Castle

Minack Theatre

St Davids Cathedral

Conwy Castle

Blair Castle

Sheep Dog Trials Leault Farm

St Magnus Cathedral