FROM KIRSTY WESTFIELD, NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE COUNCIL
North Lincolnshire Council has teamed up with Visit England to launch Quality North Lincolnshire in February 2017; an assessment scheme that will improve standards of visitor accommodation and highlight quality accommodation.
Quality North Lincolnshire will focus on ensuring the minimum legal standards for providing visitor accommodation are met and that the accommodation is legal, safe and clean.
It is recognised that national quality schemes are not always right for every business. These are currently the only assurances available when promoting visitor accommodation.
Due to falling numbers of providers joining national schemes, the alternative local assessment initiative, ‘Quality North Lincolnshire’ has been developed and will sit alongside and compliment the full star rated scheme.
Popular review websites such as TripAdvisor are a great source for potential visitors but they are subjective and only offer reviews on customer experiences. They do not consider legal standards and assurances on customer safety.
Through Quality North Lincolnshire, annual assessments will take place by the council’s Tourism Team. The team has undergone extensive Visit England training to become accredited assessors. It will not include the more in depth assessment visits – this is only a necessity for star rated schemes.
The assessments will be available at much more affordable rates to the national alternatives, yet still offer many benefits to the business and potential customers.
All visitor accommodation in North Lincolnshire will be contacted and offered the chance to join Quality North Lincolnshire; it is not a requirement.
For further information on the scheme and its benefits, please contact the Tourism Team on 01724 297774 or 01652 657053 and by email at tourism@northlincs.gov.uk
Coun Rob Waltham (Brigg & Wolds), Cabinet Member for Tourism, said: “We are committed to improving the quality of visitor experiences in North Lincolnshire. We want our visitors to be able to choose accommodation with ease, be fully informed and look forward to a warm welcome in accommodation that meets their needs. This scheme will enable us to be confident in the accommodation we promote, as well as give customers confidence in their accommodation choice.
“With an expected increase in visitors to the region for Hull City of Culture 2017 there is no better time for us to be doing all we can to support accommodation providers in North Lincolnshire and promoting the quality accommodation we have just a short drive down the road from Hull.”
How will Quality North Lincolnshire work?
The Tourism Team accredited assessors will inspect the property and score it against a checklist of essential criteria. Upon meeting the criteria, they will be awarded the Quality North Lincolnshire accreditation. They will be issued with a certificate and a Quality North Lincolnshire logo to display in their window.
If any accommodation does not meet the essential criteria, the team will work with them to achieve the accreditation.
