VisitEngland has launched a new Gold award for holiday parks that are assessed by Quality in Tourism. The award can be given to 4-star and 5-star holiday parks that excel in providing a quality holiday experience to tourists. 
There are specific criteria to meet to ensure a park qualifies for the new award. For example, having to score 90% or over for cleanliness is just one of the ways that a Gold award park stands out from the other parks in the UK.
Ken Britton of Seafield Caravan Park in Seahouses, who was the first recipient of the new award, said: “When we were told that we had qualified for the new Gold award for parks myself and the team were ecstatic. Our attention to every detail is something that we pride ourselves on and to receive this award recognises that effort. We know that our customers look out for awards like this, so to have a Gold award really is the icing on the cake.”
Gary Swarbrooke, Director of Policy and Quality at Quality in Tourism said: “The response we have had from park owners has been fantastic. Everyone is really happy that they qualified for the award, and even happier that it makes their park stand out for all the right reasons. Having a Gold award shows potential guests that your park offers high quality as standard.”
The assessment process to qualify for the new Gold award includes a detailed check of all of the parks facilities, scoring all aspects including the cleanliness of each individual area – park facilities, reception, shop, etc. A selection of each of the accommodation types are also assessed to ensure all aspects of a stay at the holiday park is of a high quality. All parks undergo their main assessment and if scores reach a potential Gold award level, then a follow-up assessment is carried out on the park.
Twelve parks have achieved a Gold award this year, and awareness of the benefits of having a VisitEngland Gold park award is increasing with other park owners looking to achieve this accolade in 2014. For more information, email [email protected]or visit www.qualityintourism.com
