Washington Wetland Centre staff 'thrilled' at Gold Accolade award from Visit England

Washington Wetland Centre has been awarded gold standard by Visit England and is now just one of eight tourist venues in the North East to hold the prestigious status.

Visit England is the national body "assessing, recognising and celebrating excellence in tourism and hospitality across England".

In total, 91 Gold Accolades were awarded to venues nationally, recognising the "high quality visitor experiences on offer across England in 2023".

Washington Wetland Centre PR & Marketing Executive, Leanne McCormella, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have been recognised as one of England’s very best visitor attractions and are proud to be representing our amazing region alongside the other brilliant winners.

“Our staff and volunteers work tirelessly all year round to ensure that the experience we offer to each and every visitor is high quality, engaging and memorable.

“Whether it’s managing our wild reserve; caring for our collection of waterbirds, otters and flamingos; running our busy cafe and gift shop, or delivering a host of events to school pupils and the public, every team member plays their part in helping people connect with wetland nature and does so with a smile on their face.

"We’re incredibly happy that they’ve been recognised for their efforts.”

Attractions are assessed on all aspects of their visitor experience and given a score out of 100.

Leanne added: "Our overall score of 93% during our recent assessment was a 5% increase from the previous assessment, which clearly demonstrates our ongoing commitment to continuously enhancing the overall visitor experience at Washington Wetland Centre.

“Autumn is well underway here now, with highlights including migratory birds, increased kingfisher sightings and gorgeous scenery, as well as our daily otter talks, flamingo feeds and the Drawn to Water Quentin Blake trail."

Visit England Director Andrew Stokes said: “These accolades are a testament to the outstanding experiences and customer service that attractions in England give visitors.

“They also recognise different aspects of the visitor experience with attractions which really go the extra mile, whether it’s offering exceptional food and drink or magical storytelling.

“The attractions honoured go out of their way to make visits memorable, creating reasons for people to travel to new locations, also boosting local economies across England.”

The centre can now display the Visit England Gold Award logo at their attraction, online and in their marketing materials.