TWO nearby much-loved tourist hotspots have been voted the best in England for accessibility.
The winners for the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2023 have been announced and Gloucestershire’s only finalist WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre has been won big.
The centre has won the bronze award in the accessible and inclusive tourism category.
Meanwhile, Noah's Ark Zoo Farm near Bristol won gold in the same category.
In addition, information guide Cotswolds Tourism won bronze for the trailblazer award category.
The awards ceremony was held at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter on June 7.
The national awards celebrate the very best of the country’s tourism industry recognising quality, innovation, best practice and customer service.
A spokesperson WWT Slimbridge said: “We were the only finalist selected for the awards from Gloucestershire, demonstrating how the wetland centre is leading the way for the county and provides excellent access to nature - for all.
“Winning Bronze in the national awards is a massive achievement for Slimbridge and our dedicated staff and volunteers are delighted.
“All of WWT’s wetland centres exist to fulfil founder Sir Peter Scott’s vision of connecting people with nature and they aim for their wetlands and wildlife to be accessible to everyone.
A spokesperson for Noah's Ark Zoo Farm said: “We are delighted to announce that we were awarded with a Gold Award for Accessible and Inclusive tourism.
“An award that means the world to our team who put accessibility and inclusion at the heart of everything we do.
“As part of our Ark for All programme we aim to make the zoo a place where everyone feels welcome and able to enjoy their day out, having fun and creating memories.
VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said: “It is fantastic to come together as an industry to celebrate our world-class tourism businesses.
“I congratulate all the winners and especially those who won gold, an achievement cementing their place as the country’s crème de la crème, standard-bearers for England’s tourism industry.”
The 48 finalists were announced following a judging process by tourism industry experts competing in 16 core categories.
The awards' categories range from ‘small visitor attraction of the year’ and ‘B&B and guest house of the year’ to ‘business events venue of the year’.
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