Imperial War Museum Duxford
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The Imperial War Museum Duxford was recognised on 23 April 2008 at the National Enjoy England Awards for Excellence awards ceremony, which was held at St George’s Hall, Liverpool. The Museum scooped Gold in the prestigious Large Visitor Attraction of the Year award category, facing stiff competition from other large attractions from across the country.
Says Richard Ashton, Director of IWM Duxford, “I am absolutely delighted that we have won the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year Award. We are constantly striving to enhance the visitor experience at Duxford as well as showcase, to the best of our ability, the wonderful and amazing collection in our care. To be recognised in this way for our commitment is a great honour and a testament to the hard work and dedication of my team - the staff, volunteers and partners at Duxford who do so much to make any visit to the Museum a memorable and enjoyable experience.”
The Imperial War Museum Duxford was one of three finalists in the Large Visitor Attraction category and was up against the Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery in Carlisle and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London for the coveted title. The awards showcase the rising quality and broad range of award-winning tourism business in England, as well as recognising a number of individuals who have been recognised for their outstanding service and contribution to English tourism.
All of the finalists demonstrated excellence against strict criteria such as service and customer care and were selected from over 100 regional winners submitted by England’s 9 regional tourism partners by a judging panel. One of the judges – Brian Richardson, Executive Secretary of The Caravan Club, commented “Each year, we are faced with an even tougher challenge as standards continue to improve. What sets these awards apart is the fact that all the regional winners are assessed anonymously by independent inspectors according to a strict criteria of excellence and we feel that the results are an honest reflection of the very best that England has to offer.”
The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence, now in their 19th year, are widely known as the “tourism Oscars” and recognise the crème de la crème of domestic tourism. They promote healthy industry competition and high standards, helping to ensure England’s place as a world-class destination.
Tourism is worth around £5 billion per year to the East of England’s economy and employs 185,000 people. With 15 million staying visits, the East of England – Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk – is fifth in the league of the 9 English regions for staying visits.