Devon country parks win top accolade

Two parks in Devon have received a top visitor attraction accolade.

The Grand Western Canal Country Park and Local Nature Reserve, and Stover Country Park, which are both managed by Devon County Council, have been awarded the prestigious Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence for 2015.

Now in its fifth year, the award celebrates excellence in hospitality and is given only to establishments that consistently achieve great reviews from Trip Advisor travellers.

Winners include accommodations, eateries and attractions located all over the world that have continually delivered a superior customer experience.

Cllr Roger Croad, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for Environment and Community, said:

“Devon has superb country parks, offering great facilities for locals and visitors to enjoy all year round.

“Receiving an accolade like this, which is thanks to all the visitors who took the time to complete a review on Trip Advisor, is a huge vote of confidence and reflects the excellent work our rangers and volunteers do.”

Cllr Des Hannon, Devon County Council's Local Member for Tiverton East, said:

"Tripadvisor is the guide of choice for a tech savvy generation. Even I use it!

"A Certificate of Excellence is exactly what our wonderful canal needs to help attract even more visitors and promote Mid Devon's tourist economy. Great news."

Marc Charron President, TripAdvisor for Business said:

"TripAdvisor is pleased to honour exceptional hospitality businesses that have received consistent praise and recognition by travellers on the site,”

“By putting a spotlight on businesses that are focused on delivering great service to customers, TripAdvisor not only helps drive increasing hospitality standards around the world, it also gives businesses both large and small the ability to shine and stand out from the competition.”