Devon’s Top Attractions gathered for their Annual General Meeting at Crealy Theme Park & Resort just outside Exeter and presented six special 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.
The top attractions scooped up awards for Sustainability Attraction of the Year, Devon Best Attraction Café of the Year, Devon Best Attraction Tour/Talk or Show of the Year, Devon Dog Friendly Attraction of the Year, Devon Best Attraction Retail Shop of the Year and Devon Loo of the Year. It’s always a tough job finding the winners when standards are so high across the board but the results come from the comments and feedback from the inspections and mystery shops carried out every summer.
The Sustainability Attraction of the Year went to Paignton Zoo with River Dart Country Park, the Milky Way and the Donkey Sanctuary all being good finalists.
Devon Best Attraction Café of the Year went to Blackpool Sands who was the overall Devon winner for best ambience, decoration, facilities, range of food, menu, customer service and efficiency.
Geoffrey Newman from Blackpool and Start Partnership said: I was absolutely delighted to receive the DATA Café Award at the AGM yesterday. Please pass on my grateful thanks to all those who put us forward, it was a great thrill to receive this after spending a huge amount of time and energy upgrading our Café. All the staff at the beach were very pleased to see the award and it is hanging in a prominent position for everyone to see.
The Box and RHS Rosemoor were worthy finalists.
The three finalists for the Devon Best Attraction Retail Shop of the Year for best range, choice, appropriateness, local sourcing, display and pricing were Killerton NT, Paignton Zoo and The Donkey Sanctuary with the winner being Quince Honey Farm.
River Dart Country Park won the Devon Dog Friendly Attraction of the Year with Powderham Castle, Killerton NT and Canonteign Falls all being strong finalists. It is recognition that the Park does a fantastic job creating such a great dog friendly experience for dogs and their owners, with their excellent facilities, accessibility and welcome.
The category of Devon Best Attraction Talk/Tour or Show went to Pennywell Farm for their daily talks and shows which have exceptional delivery being informative, engaging, humorous and an interactive experience. Finalists were Kents Cavern, World of Country Life and Quince Honey Farm.
Lastly the finalists for the Devon Loo of the Year 2024 were Killerton NT, Crealy Theme Park & Resort and Kents Cavern with the winner being The Donkey Sanctuary. They received this award for quality, facilities, cleanliness, décor and signage.
“We’re honoured to receive this award, we pride ourselves on providing clean, accessible and inclusive toilets for all our visitors. Thank you to our cleaning staff, who work out of hours seven days a week to provide this vital service on the customer journey.” – John Crouch, Visitor Engagement Manager.
The awards were started to further heighten quality and standards at member attractions. 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, including quality, facilities, cleanliness, décor, hygiene, maintenance, signage, and air quality.
Rick Turner Chairman of Devon’s Top Attractions said “Congratulations to the 2024 finalists and winners who have done a fantastic job throughout 2024 for providing an exceptional visitor experience at all these award-winning attractions and continue to fly the Devon’s Top Attractions flag.”
To find more information and ideas for a day out check out the Devon’s Top Attractions website and their www.devonstopattractions.co.uk
