Press release -
Five stars come naturally to Shetland tour company
A wildlife tour company in Shetland is celebrating after becoming one of only four in Scotland to have achieved the national tourism organisation’s Five Star Wildlife Experience accolade.
Shetland Nature, which was established in 2006 by native Shetlander Brydon Thomason, was recently upgraded from a four to Five Star Wildlife Experience within VisitScotland’s Quality Assurance (QA) scheme. Together with a collaboration of renowned tour leaders and associates, the company has built a reputation for providing an exceptional and authentic visitor experience.
The company arranges wildlife, birding and
photography holidays and tours in the Shetland Islands and specialises solely
on the islands’ world-renowned natural heritage. Visitors are attracted by their staff’s understanding of the islands’
wildlife and their commitment to it and their guests.
Out of a total of 41 wildlife experiences, Shetland Nature is one of only four in the whole of Scotland to have achieved five stars.
Brydon Thomason said:
“No surprise to say it but I am extremely proud to be awarded five stars and to be the first wildlife experience to do so in Shetland. Obviously this means a great deal to me personally, but there are more than just myself who have worked hard towards achieving this. I am very fortunate to have the support I do from those who work and collaborate with me at Shetland Nature, and none more so than Gary Bell and Karen Hannay.
“The wildlife that visitors experience here is second to none and yes, I am understandably biased, but to have the experience we offer our guests accredited to this level, really is something we are all extremely proud of.
“This is also a fantastic achievement for tourism in Shetland, to have one of only four Five Star Wildlife Experiences throughout Scotland makes it feel all the more special.”
VisitScotland’s world-leading Quality Assurance schemes are highly regarded by consumers as a decision-making tool when planning their breaks. QA provides consumer reassurance as an official rating by the national tourism organisation – a testimonial to what a business provides – and helps them reach their full potential and truly shine.
VisitScotland Islands Manager, Steve Mathieson, said:
“Nature tourism is incredibly important not only to Shetland but to Scotland as a whole. I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to Brydon and his team at Shetland Nature on this fantastic achievement.
“Five-star status shows visitors that they can expect a fantastic and enjoyable experience, whilst learning all about the amazing wildlife offering here in Shetland.
“Our natural environment is the number one reason why people visit Scotland - let’s celebrate it!”
VisitScotland’s Quality Assurance Scheme currently boasts over 7,000 participants and has been used as an example of best practice with countries all over the world, including Sweden and Namibia.
For more information, visit: www.shetlandnature.net
ENDS
For further information contact:
Kim Walton (Mon-Thurs)
Regional Corporate Press Officer
Tel: (01224) 269187
Mob: 07805 802508
E-mail: kim.walton@visitscotland.com
Louise Purves (Fri)
Corporate Press Officer
Tel: (0131) 472 2052
Mob: 17818 075519
E-mail: louise.purves@visitscotland.com
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- corporate communications
- quality assurance
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors:
- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation has three key roles:
- To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
- To provide information – and inspiration – to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland
- To provide quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to the industry and partners to help the industry meet and strive to exceed customer expectations
- VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- 2014 is the year Scotland welcomes the world, when it hosts the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and more than 800 Homecoming events throughout the country.For more information on Homecoming Scotland 2014, go to www.visitscotland.com
- The VisitScotland Information Centre network is a unique face-to-face channel engaging with around five million visitors and locals each year. Everyone who uses a VisitScotland Information Centre goes on to spend an additional £5.35, generating over £24 million for Scotland’s economy.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, tourism employs 270,000 people in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the industry contributes £11 billion annually (direct and indirect impact, including day visits) and supports around 10 per cent of employment in Scotland. Almost 16 million tourists take overnight trips to Scotland.
- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
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- For more information on VisitScotland’s annual review please go to www.visitscotland.org/about_us/our_focus/annual_report.aspx
