The Roman Baths & Pump Room has won three South West Tourism Excellence Awards at a ceremony on 1 February in Torquay.
The attraction won Gold for ‘Access and Inclusivity’ and ‘International Visitor Experience’, and Bronze in the ‘Venue and Business Tourism’ category.
The South West Tourism Excellence Awards recognise the ongoing quality development of tourism businesses in the region. Judging is carried out by an independent panel of past winners, industry leaders and experts. The judges consider written application forms, websites and social media, and some finalists also receive a ‘mystery shopping’ visit.
Councillor Paul Myers, Cabinet Member for Economic and Community Regeneration, said, “We are delighted with these awards, which are testament to the hard work put in throughout the year by staff at the Roman Baths to ensure an outstanding experience for all of our visits. The Roman Baths attracts more than a million visitors every year, which in turn benefits the wider economy of Bath and the surrounding area.”
Improving the visitor experience
The past year has seen a number of improvements at the Roman Baths. The East Baths, adjacent to the famous Great Bath, were revamped with new projections, soundscapes and CGI reconstructions showing the Roman Baths at the height of their popularity as a working, living and leisure space.
Work will begin this year on the Archway Project, which will create a brand new Clore Learning Centre for the Roman Baths and a World Heritage Centre, as well as opening up new areas of the Roman Baths to visitors, including a laconicum (sauna) and exercise courtyard.
Recent major redevelopments has meant 90% of the Roman Baths can now be accessed by wheelchair users. Visitors with hearing or visual impairments can explore the site using British Sign Language guides and tactile displays, and visitors on the autism spectrum can find detailed guidance about what to expect on the Roman Baths website.
Audioguides are available free of charge to visitors in 12 different languages, and printed information leaflets are also provided in more than 30 additional languages. In 2017, Mandarin was the most popular non-English audioguide with more than 108,000 visitors choosing this option – 7% more than the previous year.
The Roman Baths will now be entered into the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, which will be presented on 23 April 2018 at the Assembly Rooms in Bath.
Image L-R: Penny Jenkins, Commercial Manager; Katie Smith, Visitor Services Manager; Stephen Clews, Roam Baths & Pump room Manager.
