Devon’s Top Attractions Scoop NEW Prestigious Awards!
Devon’s Top Attractions gathered for their Annual General Meeting at Buckfast Abbey Conference Centre on Wednesday 22nd November and it was the ideal occasion to present the annual excellence awards to the attractions that have gone above and beyond to keep their facilities in award-winning condition and to go the extra mile to look after their visitors.
Following a complete inspection overhaul this year, the Association has increased the pass mark to 75% and put raising standards at the forefront and have introduced three new categories: Sustainability Attraction of the Year, Best Attraction Café of the Year and Best Attraction Tour/Talk or Show of the Year to their awards that already recognise and award for the best Dog Friendly Attraction of the Year, the Best Retail Shop of the Year and the Best Devon Loo of the Year. It was a tough job picking this year’s winners as there were several excellent finalists in each group and with quality facilities raised. The winners and finalists of each category are as follows:
The winner of the new Sustainability Award went to River Dart Country Park with The Box, The Big Sheep and RAMM all being finalists.
The winner of the Best Attraction Café of the Year went to Quince Honey Farm who was the overall Devon winner for best ambience, decoration, facilities, range of food, menu, customer service and efficiency. With RHS Rosemoor, Canonteign Falls and the Donkey Sanctuary all being worthy finalists.
The winner that scooped the best Retail Shop of the Year went to the The Donkey Sanctuary. for best range, choice, appropriateness, local sourcing, display and pricing and the finliasts were Paignton Zoo, RHS Rosemoor and RAMM.
Haldon Forest Park won the best Devon Dog Friendly Attraction of the Year for the second year in a row despite Pecorama, Quince Honey Farm and Clovelly all being strong finalists. However with their fantastic forest setting it is a such a great dog friendly experience for dogs and their owners, and with their excellent facilities, accessibility and welcome.
The Winner of the new category for Best Devon Attraction Talk/Tour or Show went to Kents Cavern for their tours which had exceptional delivery, informative, engaging, humorous and an interactive experience. Finalists were Seaton Tramway, Crealy Theme Park & Resort and The Big Sheep.
Lastly the Winner for the Devon’s best attraction Loo went to The Box in Plymouth and finalist were the Donkey Sanctuary and Seaton Tramway. This award recognised excellent standards for quality, facilities, cleanliness, décor and signage.
From left to right are the the cleaning team at The Box: Dawn Ash, Donna Pelly and Ibolya Majoros pleased to have received their award.
The awards first started in 2019 in order to further heighten quality and standards at member attractions, and this has now been expanded to include additional categories covering other area of excellence.
Rick Turner Chairman of the Devon Association of the Tourist Attractions and who presented the awards said, “The awards’ objective is to raise awareness and encourage the highest possible standards within areas that can sometimes be overlooked. The inspections are done at the same time as Devon’s Top Attractions members annual inspections and mystery shop visits, all of which cover numerous elements. We are thrilled to be able to recognise and award these areas of excellence”.
Congratulations to the 2023 finalists and winners who have done a fantastic job providing an exceptional visitor experience at all these award-winning attractions.
To find more information and ideas for a day out check out the Devon’s Top Attractions website and their What’s on pages here
To find attractions and book tickets see here
