Well, we’re only chuffed. The prestigious CIE Tours International Annual Awards of Excellence were held in Dublin on Tuesday, January 28, and Westport won a veritable slew of awards for its amazing tourism offering.
Now in their 30th year, the awards recognise the best hotels and tourist attractions across Ireland based on feedback from over 25,000 customers throughout the year. Each winner achieved a customer satisfaction rating of over 92 per cent from CIE Tours International visitors, with gold award winners achieving the highest satisfaction ratings in their categories. Basking in the warm glow of a gold award is Westport’s Clew Bay Hotel, which was named Ireland’s Best 3 Star Hotel. And we’re not one bit surprised; sitting pretty on James Street, in the heart of the town, this hotel’s is a real gem – great rooms, great service, great food, great atmosphere.
Also snapping up gold, Westport Walking Tours was named Ireland’s Best Walking Tour. A well-deserved accolade if ever there was one. The yellow-clad guides of Westport Walking Tours have built a stellar reputation for entertaining visitors with their informative, hour-long guided walks around Westport town. The operation was set up by Stephen and Alan Clarke, whose family have been part of the fabric of Westport since its beginnings, and each of the Westport Walking Tour guides know just about all there is to know about the area.
And the plaudits did not end there! Four-star Hotel Westport received a Merit Award of Excellence for delivering an exceptional quality experience and welcome to tourists, while another Merit Award of Excellence – this one in the Visitor Attraction category – went to beautiful Westport House, which encompasses the heritage house itself, its stunning grounds and its famous Pirate Adventure Park.
Kudos must also go to two other Mayo tourism offerings that also won awards: Close-by Ballintubber Abbey also received a Merit Award of Excellence in the Visitor Attraction category, while The Lodge at Ashford Castle, down the road in Cong, was named Best 4 Star Hotel.
Congratulations to all the winners – we’re very proud of you!
