News

Scottish companies have dominated a prestigious tourism awards ceremony, with 31 businesses scooping gongs in Glasgow.

A total of 56 CIE Awards were presented at the Hotel du Vin Devonshire on the eve of VisitScotland Expo 2017, the country’s flagship travel show.

Glamis Castle won, one of the major awards, that of Best Overall Castle Experience, from Elizabeth Crabill, Chief Executive of CIE.  The awards recognise the quality of the UK’s visitor attractions and hotels, which have received a greater than 90% customer satisfaction rating.  Glamis award was based on the feedback of the 15,000 visitors CIE brought to the UK in 2016.

Other Scottish winners included Norton House Hotel & Spa and The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which were presented with the awards for Best Overall Hotel and Best Special Event respectively.

Apex Grassmarket Hotel, Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club and Macdonald Holyrood Hotel also won Hotel Awards of Excellence while Palace of Holyrood and Edinburgh Castle won Visit Awards for Excellence.

CIE Tours International, which was named Scotland’s Heritage International Operator of the Year 2017, saw a 10 per cent rise in bookings in UK tours on the previous year, increasing the number of visitors the Irish operator brought to the UK to 14,000.