Eden Project wins Large Visitor Attraction award for second year
November 15, 2010
The Eden Project has been named the region’s Large Visitor Attraction of the Year for the second year running.
It collected the prize in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards held tonight (November 15) at the Riviera International Conference Centre in Torquay.
The full list of nominees in the same category as the Eden Project was Longleat Safari Park, Bristol Zoo, Castle Drogo in Devon and the Roman Baths in Bath.
The awards celebrate the ‘best in the South West' and aim to promote and reward the leading businesses and individuals in the tourism industry.
Entrants had to demonstrate outstanding levels of customer service, plus exemplary facilities, along with a commitment to sustainability, recycling and the environment and being accessible to all.
Members of the Eden team collected the award from journalist and broadcaster Declan Curry, best known for presenting business news on BBC Breakfast and hosting Working Lunch.
Eden will now be put forward with other gold winners for VisitEngland’s national Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2011, to be held next April.
Martin Williams, Eden’s Marketing Director, said: "We are thrilled and honoured to win this award for the second year running, especially when we were competing against a group of hugely popular attractions. It comes after we won silver at the British Travel Awards earlier this month for the UK’s best day out.
"This latest award is for all our staff, volunteers and suppliers, whose hard work keeps our visitors coming. We’ve had some exciting developments at Eden this year, including opening our Rainforest Lookout which gives our visitors a bird’s eye view of the jungle canopy, and the launch of our Rainforest Balloon, which enables people to fly through our treetops.
"Next March year we celebrate our tenth birthday and we'll be reflecting on Eden's beginnings, how we've developed over the decade, and looking forward to the next ten years."
He added: "The tourism sector in Cornwall and the South West is thriving despite the difficult economic climate and it will be an honour to represent the region at the National Awards next spring. We just hope we can bring back the trophy!"
