Published on : Tuesday, April 23, 2019
The Independent Awards Standards Council present the award in regards to Services for Tourism, following an appraisal of the processes and standards applied by Services for Tourism in running the awards, along with interviews with winners and judges.
Services for Tourism director Robin Barker said: “Tourism is a fast-moving dynamic industry with leaders constantly innovating and investing.”
“In judging them we cannot stand still and the Tourism Awards of 2019 bear little relation to those of 2008, when we first took them on.”
“Feedback from entrants tells us that the main reason people now enter the awards is for the free feedback and to improve their business, this being one of the reasons entries have grown each year to a record 651 in 2018. It is of course a team effort, and I must thank our 50+ judges and 40+ sponsors in making it possible.”
To succeed in the Gold accolade Services for Tourism required evidence against 16 criteria comprising independence of judges, confidentiality, judge training and feedback.
Chris Robinson, co-founder and chairman of the Independent Awards Standards Council, said: “We are delighted to award the South West Tourism Excellence Awards a Gold Trust Mark for its ethics, transparency and general great practice.
“The first tourism award to receive Gold. What impressed me most about the awards is how they give feedback despite being free to enter, and how they truly listen to entrants – surveying them every year to ensure continuous improvement. A great scheme.”