The Roman Baths in Bath have been rated best overall heritage site in the UK by Irish coach tour operator CIE Tours International, which recognises the quality of the UK’s hotels and visitor attractions.
The operator gives 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 Roman Baths scooped the award for Best Overall Heritage Site, meaning that it was judged best 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, it’s 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.”
“Our Awards are well recognised and hugely respected in Ireland,” continued Elizabeth Crabill, “and it is gratifying to see that the awards have been embraced so quickly in the UK.
“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.”
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.
