Nine large visitor attractions have been voted the best in England and will go through to the Excellence in England Tourism Awards 2004, in association with Enjoy England*. The winner of the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category (over 100,000 visitors) will be announced at the national awards ceremony at Kensington Palace in London on 22 April 2004, on the eve of St George’s Day.
The finalists have all come through rigorous awards run by England’s nine regional tourist boards, where they battled it out against hundreds of other entries for a chance to win the Excellence in England Tourism Award accolade for Large Visitor Attraction of the Year.
The winner will have shown commitment to providing a quality experience with a high level of customer care and innovative presentation of information. They will also have invested in staff training and development and made provision for disabled guests in line with the new Disability Discrimination Act* coming fully into force in October 2004.
The Large Visitor Attraction of the Year national finalists are:
Windermere Lake Cruises – Cumbria Tourist Board www.windermere-lakecruises.co.uk
Windermere Lake Cruises is the biggest tourist attraction in the Lake District. Its fleet of historic steamers and elegant launches carry more than one million passengers along Lake Windermere each year. Daily sailings link Ambleside, Bowness and Lakeside and there are connections to attractions including Brockhole, Aquarium of the Lakes and the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Steam Railway.
Colchester Zoo – East of England Tourist Board www.colchester-zoo.co.uk
Colchester Zoo is now one of the finest Zoos in Europe with over 200 species, set in over 60 acres of beautiful parkland. The new Playa Patagonia pool for Patagonian sea lions features a 24 metre acrylic under water viewing tunnel and there’s Kingdom of the Wild which provides a wonderful mixed savannah style environment for Zebras, Ostriches, Rhinos, Kudu and Giraffe as well as 20 other species of African mammals, birds, insects and fish. There’s also Spirit of Africa, the breeding facility for African Elephants. Interactive daily displays give visitors the chance to feed the giraffes and elephants as well as see free-flying falcons and parrots. Colchester Zoo has been voted Zoo of the Year and also Essex Family Attraction of the Year.
Royal Air Force Museum – Visit Heart of England www.rafmuseum.org/cosford
The RAF Museum Cosford has one of the largest aviation collections in the UK, with over 70 aircraft on display. Three wartime hangars house German, American, Japanese and British aircraft and also an extensive missile collection with over 30 examples on show. Enthusiastic staff and volunteers ensure excellent levels of customer service at this National Museum.
Natural History Museum – Visit London www.nhm.ac.uk
The Natural History Museum is an outstanding attraction offering visitors a complete experience. In 2002 the Museum opened the first phase of its most significant project to date – the Darwin Centre. Darwin Centre Phase One turns the spotlight on the important role the Museum plays in generating knowledge about the natural world. Daily free events called Darwin Centre Live enable visitors to meet some of the Museum’s 300 researchers and curators who work with the collections. Visitors can also enjoy regular daily Darwin Centre Explore tours behind the scenes to see some of the Museum’s 22 million specimens stored in spirit.
Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens www.twmuseums.org.uk
The Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens contains exciting hands-on exhibits and interactive displays which tell the story of Sunderland from its prehistoric past through to the present day. The art gallery features paintings by L S Lowry and the Winter Gardens stimulate the senses with over 1500 flowers and plants.
Imperial War Museum – North West Tourist Board www.iwm.org.uk/north
Imperial War Museum North opened at The Quays in Trafford Park, Manchester, in July 2002. Daniel Libeskind's building provides a spectacular setting for this 21st century Museum. It is the fifth branch of the Imperial War Museum and the first outside the South East. It tackles the theme of war and conflict in innovative ways, using the sound and film archives from the Museum to great effect. Admission is free.
RHS Rosemoor Garden – South West Tourism www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor
RHS Garden Rosemoor has a series of formal and model gardens including a stream/lakeside garden. Displays are immaculate and innovative, with a wide variety of plants. Labelling is excellent, with reference numbers for visitors wishing to buy plants. There is also a visitor centre with restaurant, shop and large outdoor sales area. Staff are welcoming and knowledgeable.
Blue Reef Aquarium – Tourism South East www.bluereefaquarium.co.uk
Overlooking the bustling Solent, Portsmouth’s Blue Reef Aquarium takes visitors on an undersea safari through the oceans of the world. Naturally themed habitats are home to everything from seahorses and puffer fish to giant octopus and tropical sharks. At the aquarium’s heart is a giant tropical coral display where an underwater walkthrough tunnel offers close encounters with thousands of spectacular reef fish. Other displays - including an indoor otter holt - provide a fun learning experience for visitors. In addition to its busy events programme the aquarium works closely with a variety of wildlife organisations and supports projects in the local community.
National Railway Museum – Yorkshire Tourist Board www.nrm.org.uk
Despite increased competition, the National Railway Museum continues to draw an ever-increasing number of visitors through its doors. Their annual exit research reveals 99% customer satisfaction and 90% would recommend a visit to their friends. Continued promotion of the free admission charge coupled with a packed events programme has seen visitor numbers increase by about a third.
