The Roman Baths has been named as a finalist in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category of the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2013.
As a finalist the Roman Baths now goes forward to the glittering awards ceremony in Manchester on 20 May. All finalists are guaranteed to receive either a Gold, Silver, Bronze or Highly Commended Award. The final results will be announced on the night.
Commenting on the finalists James Berresford, VisitEngland’s Chief Executive, said: “I would like to congratulate all those nominated as VisitEngland Awards for Excellence finalists this year. We received 320 applications and the quality of submissions was higher than ever. It is therefore no small achievement for the Roman Baths to become a finalist and justifiably take credit and pride in earning a coveted place in the top five in their category in England. I wish everyone all the best for the final in May.”
The Roman Baths is the only large visitor attraction in the South West to make it into the final of the awards category. It is competing against Blenheim Palace, The Cutty Sark and the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu in Hampshire.
Councillor Cherry Beath (Lib-Dem, Combe Down), Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, said: “We’re delighted that the Roman Baths has made it into the national finals of the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2013.
“This achievement builds on the Roman Baths winning Gold in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards earlier this year and reflects the incredibly hard work of all the team. It shows Bath & North East Somerset Council’s continuing commitment to making this nationally important visitor attraction accessible and exciting for everyone to enjoy. I congratulate our Roman Baths team and wish them the very best of luck for the VisitEngland national awards on 20 May.”
The Roman Baths made it into the national finals by achieving the highest scores in the South West awards for its “commitment to excellence in customer experience”, “sustainability” and “commitment to excellence in improvements”. The official report – based on the recommendations of the category judges and mystery shoppers – highlighted a number of positive aspects of the Roman Baths visitor experience, including:
- An iconic building in a memorable setting.
- Following several years of major investment the museum and baths are very well presented and interpreted. Audio guides with a range of commentaries for different age groups, interests and languages are easy to use and informative.
- Video presentations bring the various areas to life as they would have been in Roman times, with great effect.
- Regular free guided tours with knowledgeable staff; and costumed characters entertain around the main bath.
- The new Roman Baths Kitchen café, opened in May 2012, offers a good range of food throughout the day. Good service, quality furniture and a changing menu.
