Awards & Accreditations

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Awards & Accreditations

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Is it important to get awards and accreditation?

In a very competitive market, travellers increasingly demand high accommodation standards and the perceived quality of your establishment can hugely influence ongoing success. It is estimated that for 75% of consumers, a star rating will influence their choice of accommodation. Awards and accreditations instill a degree of confidence, especially for customers seeking to book directly with an establishment for the best deals.

Quality grading schemes are designed to give visitors a clear idea of the standards of accommodation, service and cleanliness which they can expect during their stay. Schemes are open to hotels, guest houses, bed and breakfasts, self-catering accommodation and hostels, with premises having the ability to achieve a grading of between one to five stars. There are also awards for campsites, inns, restaurants with rooms and more.

The exceptional standards of the UK’s tourism industry are world-renowned, so develop your business to the highest level possible and ‘shout about it’ to give yourself a competitive advantage when it comes to attracting more customers. Some of the awards incur a cost and some are free.

Trusted

Quality Grading Schemes

All the main assessing bodies; comprising Visit England, Visit Scotland, Visit Wales, Tourism Northern Ireland, Quality in Tourism and the AA, assess holiday accommodation and award one to five stars. The stars reflect the facilities and overall quality of the experience, with five being the highest.

The AA and Quality in Tourism services the whole of the UK including Northern Ireland. The AA also accredits caravan, camping and glamping sites with pennant ratings and restaurants with rosettes for culinary excellence, awarded annually on a rising scale of one to five.

Additional awards may also provide an added advantage, such as a Visit England Gold or Silver Award, Covid ‘Good To Go’ accreditation or a David Bellamy Conservation Award for campsites. Breakfast Awards are also popular. There are also locally-based awards, for example, Dorset Tourism.

Visit England also run four ‘Welcome Schemes’ to show that accommodation is well suited to and equipped for guests with particular requirements. The schemes include Walkers Welcome, Cyclists Welcome, Families Welcome and Welcome Pets. Visit a ‘Cask Marque’ accredited pub for great pint of cask ale or wedding venue related awards if you offer this facility.

There are other additional gradings that may be appropriate. Many people also seek reassurance from FSA Food Hygiene Scores and gradings that come from reviews, for example Hotels.com or Trip Advisor Travellers’ Choice awards.

Remember to make sure that when promoting your business, advertising companies are fully aware and highlight key features so that they can attribute relevant badges, as we do with UK Tourism Online on customers’ listing pages, for example, ‘Ideal for Walking’ or ‘Ideal for Attractions’.

Awards

£291.72
per year for 1 room establishments

AA Star Ratings

From £291.72 per year for 1 room establishments up to £554.27 per year for establishments with over 21 rooms (all prices excluding VAT). The marketing only option is £212.16 per year, excluding VAT.

CATEGORY: All accommodation.

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA: Whole of UK.

PURPOSE FOR AWARD: General quality grading.

WHEN: Annual paid listing, the mystery guest inspector will give you your results the following afternoon.

NOTES: The cost does not include the price of 1 night stay (or 2 nights for 5 star hotels) which must be refunded to the mystery guest.

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£158.08
joining fee + annual fees

VisitEngland Star Ratings

£158.08 joining fee, annual fees range from £194.95 to £1568.22 depending on how many rooms are available and how much the property owner charges per night (all prices including VAT).

CATEGORY: All accommodation.

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA: The whole of England and the Channel Isles.

PURPOSE FOR AWARD: General quality grading.

WHEN: Annual paid listing, the inspector will give you your results the following afternoon.

NOTES: There are option extras ranging from £22.14 per year to £34.99 inc. VAT (Cyclists Welcome, Families Welcome, Welcome Pets! Walkers Welcome, One Step Ahead).

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£49.70
annually

Scottish Tourist Board Star Ratings

Annual fees range from £49.70 to £459.00 depending on the size and type of establishment (excluding VAT).

CATEGORY: All accommodation.

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA: Scotland, including Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides.

PURPOSE FOR AWARD: General quality grading.

WHEN: Annual paid listing, the inspector will give you your results the following afternoon.

NOTES: The Star Rating an establishment achieves can be upgraded to a GOLD rating if the accommodation consistently achieves the highest levels of excellence within their VisitScotland star grading.

More Info

£56
anually

Visit Wales Star Rating

Annual fees range from £56 to £116 depending on type of accommodation with additional fees from £1 to £10 per unit (all prices including VAT).

CATEGORY: All accommodation.

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA: Wales.

PURPOSE FOR AWARD: General quality grading.

WHEN: Annual paid listing, the inspector will give you your results the following afternoon.

More Info

£80
annually

Tourism Northern Ireland

£80 to £191 per year excluding VAT.

CATEGORY: All accommodation.

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA: Northern Ireland.

PURPOSE FOR AWARD: General quality grading.

WHEN: Annual paid listing, the inspector will give you your results the following afternoon.

More Info Download Form

£143.82
per year

AA Pennants

Ranges from £143.82 per year to £581.40 per year depending on number of pitches (excluding VAT).

CATEGORY: Camping and glamping sites.

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA: Whole of UK.

PURPOSE FOR AWARD: General quality grading.

WHEN: Annual paid listing, the inspector will give you your results the following afternoon.

More Info

FREE

Good to Go

FREE.

AWARD ORGANISATION: VisitBritain

CATEGORY: All accommodation.

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA: Whole of UK.

PURPOSE FOR AWARD: COVID safety grading.

WHEN: One-time application, you receive accreditation after completing the online application form.

More Info Apply

FREE

AA Covid-19 Confident

FREE.

AWARD ORGANISATION: AA

CATEGORY: All accommodation.

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA: Whole of UK.

PURPOSE FOR AWARD: COVID safety grading.

WHEN: One-time application, you receive accreditation after completing the online application form.

More Info Apply

£125
depending on business size

Safe, Clean & Legal

£125 + VAT to £2,000 + VAT, depending on business size.

AWARD ORGANISATION: Quality in Tourism

CATEGORY: All accommodation.

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA: Whole of UK.

PURPOSE FOR AWARD: COVID safety grading.

WHEN: One-time application, you receive accreditation after completing the online application form and an inspector checks the property.

Due to there being an actual inspection, it is more thorough than the AA or Visit Britain equivalents however this isn’t common knowledge among consumers.

The scheme has been approved as a Primary Authority co-ordinated partnership with Cornwall Council, which has been ratified by the Secretary of State.

More Info Apply

FREE

Safe Travels

FREE.

AWARD ORGANISATION: World Travel & Tourism Council

CATEGORY: All accommodation.

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA: Several countries across the world, including the entirety of the UK.

PURPOSE FOR AWARD: COVID safety grading.

WHEN: One-time application, you receive accreditation after completing the online application form.

More Info

LET EVERYONE KNOW

Remember to shout about your awards!

Official award logos can be displayed on websites and in other forms of advertising. Certificates are also provided from accrediting bodies for display within the property and exterior signage is also available.

For more information on the different industry associations click the link below.

Industry Associations

Don't forget to update your advert!

Recently been awarded? Then don't forget to update your UK Tourism Online advert.

Let us know here