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Statistics

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Statistics - All-inclusive

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Statistics - On-line booking

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ABTA reveals online holiday booking habits - ABTA

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PC is still on top for online bookings, while tablets continue to grow. Find out more here at ABTA - The Travel Association.

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Statistics - On-line booking

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Airlines and tour operators

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Description: Other long haul destinations under consideration, Author: - TravelMole Media Group LLC, Publish Date: 2015-10-13 10:00:04, Image: , Category: Travel News

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Travel agents and insurance

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ABTA issues warning over travel insurance

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Description: One in five Brits still not properly covered, Author: - TravelMole Media Group LLC, Publish Date: 2015-08-27 10:40:28, Image: , Category: Travel News

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Cruise Operators and taxis

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General website to use for research

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Travel Industry News and Travel Jobs from Travel Weekly | Travel Weekly

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Travel Weekly is the UK's predominant title with an unrivalled portfolio of publications, websites and events. Forming part of Jacobs Media Group.

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General website to use for your research

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Travel news, job listings, travel industry event calendar

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Tourist Boards and visitor attractions

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An unbiased viewpoint. Promotional opportunities. Support throughout the year. Develop and promote your attraction with VisitEngland's Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme.

Delivered by highly experienced assessors who know the sector inside out, VisitEngland's Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme is designed to help you maximise your business potential. By engaging with the scheme, you'll receive a full written assessment of your business from a valuable outside perspective, tailored advice and guidance, access to business support tools and national PR opportunities as well as the chance to use our Quality Rose Marque in all your advertising.

You'll also be eligible for one of our accolades, such as the Gold accolade or Hidden Gem accolade, which can help you boost your business and gain an edge over your competitors.

The benefits
Visitor Attraction Quality Marque

Unlimited use of our Quality Rose Marque in all your promotional material, so you can show visitors you have the National Tourist Board seal of approval.

A visit from a highly experienced assessor, who'll take into account all aspects of the visitor journey, to assess the quality of your attraction in context.

A face-to-face debrief of your assessment visit, where you can ask questions and discuss opportunities for developing your visitor experience.

A comprehensive written report of the assessor's findings, which will include the key observations, acknowledgement of areas in which your attraction excels and recommendations for improvement.

A review of your marketing material and an unbiased assessment of expectation against genuine experience.

Assistance with forward planning for investment, identifying immediate actions and areas for future development.

Free quality scheme display sign featuring our Quality Rose Marque for new joiners.

Opportunity to achieve one or more of our unique accolades for attractions.

Accolades

As a member of our Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme you'll be able to enter our unique accolades. Introduced in 2014, these accolades recognise attractions where the visitor experience is of the highest quality.

The accolades are designed to reward excellence, whether in one particular area or across the whole visitor journey. Each one has its own scoring criteria. Your assessor can explain how close you are to achieving an accolade and provide guidance on how to improve your scores.

The accolades currently awarded to attractions are:

How it works

When we've received your application form, you'll be sent an invoice requesting payment. Once payment has been received you'll be allocated an assessor, who'll then contact you directly to arrange a visit.

Your assessor will replicate your entire customer journey, from looking at your website before the visit to experiencing all aspects of your attraction, including customer-staff interactions.

Your attraction will be assessed against criteria specific to your type of attraction. For example, museums are scored against a different question set than activity-based experiences or tours.

There are eight key areas which are assessed across all attractions:

1. Pre-Arrival

2. Arrival and Initial Impressions

3. The Attraction

4. Cleanliness

5. Toilets (if available)

6. Catering (if available)

7. Retail (if available)

8. Staff

To ensure that your visitors receive a consistent level of quality throughout, each of these areas has a minimum score threshold which needs to be met in order for your attraction to gain accreditation.

Once the assessor has completed their experience, they will perform a face-to-face debrief with the manager or staff member of your choice. You'll then receive a written report consolidating the assessor's findings, which can be shared with your team and used in press releases and other marketing.

Once you've received your report, the team is on hand to answer any queries you may have. As well as the assessment, debrief and report, you'll also have access to a number of benefits, including the opportunity to feature in our marketing campaigns and unlimited use of our Quality Rose Marque in all your promotional material.
See the 2017 Accolade winners (PDF, 269KB)

Fees and how to apply

We calculate your annual participation fee based on: how many visitors you have, how much you charge for entry and whether you'd like a visit every year or every other year (see FAQs for more information). Attractions that are new to the scheme or re-joining after lapsing are also required to pay a one-off joining fee.

For more information and to join the scheme, visit the VisitEngland Assessment Services website.

Who's in the Scheme?

There's a wide range of attractions taking part in the scheme across the country, from well-known tourist hot spots to hidden gems in quiet villages. These include museums, theme parks, churches, nature reserves, tours, activity-based attractions and more. If you have a specific query regarding an attraction taking part in the scheme, contact our Visitor Attraction team.

National Code of Practice for Visitor Attractions

VisitEngland's National Code of Practice for Visitor Attractions can help you show your visitors that you take customer service seriously.

Members of the Code of Practice agree to undertake 15 actions, including providing an accurate description of all facilities at the attraction and producing an Accessibility Guide, (an improved format that replaces Access Statements).

All members of the Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme are automatically enrolled in the Code of Practice as part of their participation terms and conditions.

If you're not a member of the Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme and would like to sign up to the Code of Practice, download and complete the application form and email it to us.
Download the National Code of Practice (PDF, 100KB) Download the National Code of Practice application form (DOCX, 93KB)
Visitor Attraction Scheme Quality Standard Guide

The Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme Standard Guide (PDF, 6MB) gives more information on:

The minimum criteria for scheme members

How the scoring system works and what your assessor will be looking for

Accolades

Hints and tips from assessors

Your legal obligations to provide access for all and ideas for making your attraction more sustainable

All scheme participants will receive a hard copy of the guide prior to their assessment.

VisitEngland Assessment Services

For more information on our visitor attraction scheme and how to apply, visit the VisitEngland Assessment Services website.

Other star rating and accreditation schemes

FAQs
Is my attraction eligible to apply?
Any visitor attraction is eligible to apply for the Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme, regardless of size or sector. We define a visitor attraction as:
A permanently established excursion destination, a primary purpose of which is to allow public access for entertainment, interest or education and can include places of worship, rather than being primarily a retail outlet or a venue for sporting, theatrical or film performances. It must be open to the public for published periods of the year and should be capable of attracting day visitors or tourists, as well as local residents. My business doesn't fit into your definition of a visitor attraction. Can I still join?
The Visitor Attraction Scheme is just one of the quality schemes we run. We also quality assess racecourses, football stadiums and motorway services. Get in touch and we'll let you know if we can help you.
How is the scheme different to a mystery shopper service?
A mystery shopper service offers visits on a regular basis, often monthly, and provides a report based on the mystery shopper's findings. These visits focus on a particular snapshot in time and are carried out by normal 'visitors', who don't necessarily have experience of the visitor attraction industry.

In contrast, our Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme assessments are carried out either annually or every other year and you'll receive a full report, including scores, certificate and a plaque (for new joiners), which you can display. The visits are conducted by highly trained professional assessors with years of experience in the industry. At the end of the visit, your assessor will carry out a face-to-face debrief with you, letting you know what they've found and making suggestions and recommendations for improvement.
What is an accolade?
An accolade is recognition of excellence in a particular element of the visitor experience, such as your catering or staff. They last for 12 months from the date of assessment and successful businesses will receive a certificate and a logo, which can be used in all marketing materials while the accolade is valid.
What's the difference between having an annual assessment and a visit every other year?
An annual visit ensures you receive regular assessment and feedback, so you're able to establish how your business is developing year-on-year. A visit every other year means you only pay 70% of the standard participation fee, payable each year, but you'll receive less frequent feedback on your visitor experience.
I manage several attractions. Is there a group rate available?
We manage a number of key accounts, including the RSPB, Forestry Commission and many local authorities. Get in touch with us with details of your attractions and we'll do our best to help.
How long does it take to organise a visit?
If you're a new member, we'll try to carry out your assessment within two months of receiving payment. If you're an existing participant, we'll look at your previous visits to ensure that you get a good spread of visits across the year, from busy school holidays to quieter term-time weekdays.
Can I choose when I have my assessment, for example at half term?
Your assessor will contact you before your visit to see if you have any preferred dates. They'll try and accommodate any requests for a specific day or period, such as half term or during an event you're running.
My attraction is aimed at families. Do you do family visits?
Yes, many of the assessors have children or grandchildren that can be taken on an assessment. A request for a family visit can be accommodated, but is dependent on the availability and location of the closest suitable assessor. You must also be willing to refund the admission price for one adult and up to three children at debrief. If you'd like a family visit, state this on your application form and we'll do our best to accommodate your request.
Will I know in advance when the assessor will visit?
This is up to you. If you'd like to know when your assessor will be visiting, they'll give you an advance warning. Alternatively, you can let them visit unannounced so they receive a genuine visitor experience.

If you do know the date of your assessment, we advise that you keep this information private, to ensure your staff behaves as naturally as possible.
What if I'm not around on the day for the debrief?
In order to get the most from the visit, it's best to have a face-to-face debrief at the end of the day. Your assessor will contact you before they visit to make sure you're available. If circumstances change and you're unable to meet them on the day, they'll try to arrange a telephone debrief at a later date.
What if I don't agree with the assessor's findings?
If you have any queries about the assessment or the report, get in touch and we'll investigate for you.
What if my attraction fails the assessment?
If you don't meet the standard required for accreditation, you'll still receive a report outlining the assessor's visit, what they found and where improvements can be made. You'll then be given the option of putting the assessor's recommendations into practice, then paying for and receiving a follow-up visit a few months later.
Where can I find the logo so I can use it on my website?
If you'd like the logo featuring our Quality Rose Marque, email us and we'll send it to you.
Can I order extra exterior signs?
New joiners will receive a free medium single faced sign, measuring 364mmx254mm (14" x 10" approx.). Additional signs can be ordered from Alpen Signs. Download an order form.

If you have a question that's not answered here, get in touch and we'll try to help.

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An unbiased viewpoint. Promotional opportunities. Support throughout the year. Develop and promote your attraction with VisitEngland's Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme. Delivered by highly experienced assessors who know the sector inside out, VisitEngland's Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme is designed to help you maximise your business potential.

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Insurance companies and tour operators

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Travel insurers have been blasted after a record numbers of complaints were made by Britons who felt cheated by medical 'get-out' clauses.

An investigation by Which?, the consumer group, has accused insurers of changing terms after the policies are sold, often leaving British travellers without any cover.

A survey of 1,876 members found that nearly a third who told their travel insurance provider about a medical condition after they took out the policy had to pay a higher premium or had their cover removed.

Which? Travel says insurers include 'ongoing medical warranties' in policies that they say allow them to change the terms after the policy is bought.

The report found cases of people who had their medical cover removed even though their doctor said they were fit to travel, and were left travelling with no insurance.

Some then lost all medical cover because of a new minor illness.

But the Which? magazine says the Financial Ombudsman Service ruled eight years ago that it was generally not fair and reasonable for insurers to exclude from cover medical conditions that arose between the start of the policy and the start of the trip.

It said this would be reasonable only if the change was so fundamental that the risk that was being insured became completely different.

Which? Travel said: 'The FOS is now receiving more complaints about the issue than ever before -- about 40-50 complaints every month -- up from about 20 a month three years ago. There is also concern within the insurance industry about the clauses.'

The magazine says these complaints arise because although the customer is committed to the policy once they have bought it, many travel insurers include what is known as ongoing medical warranties or a change of risk clause which gives them a 'get-out' if they decide they no longer want to insure the customer.

Chris Gray acting assistant editor of Which? Travel said: 'Many of our members have great difficulty finding suitable travel insurance if they have pre-existing medical conditions.

'But the ones who have had the most traumatic experiences are those who found an insurer prepared to cover them, only to then discover that the insurer walked away from the policy when their condition changed.

'We believe insurers behaving like this are acting against the ruling of the Financial Ombudsman Service and we encourage members to report any cases like this to the FOS.

'If the customers' medical advice is that they are fit to travel and pose no extra risk, insurers should follow that advice and allow policies to continue unchanged, not rely on an inflexible screening process.

'These policies are also unbalanced because customers have to produce medical evidence if they want to cancel, but insurers reserve the right to cancel without medical evidence.'

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Travel insurance complaints soar as firms use medical 'get-out clauses' to withhold payments

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Travel insurers have been blasted after a record numbers of complaints were made by Britons who felt cheated by medical 'get-out' clauses. An investigation by Which?, the consumer group, has accused insurers of changing terms after the policies are sold, often leaving British travellers without any cover.

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Unit 12 A04

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Travel agents and tour operators