IT’S OFFICIAL - the Severn Valley Railway is one of the top three tourism

experiences in England!

The 16-mile Kidderminster-to-Bridgnorth steam heritage line which attracts up to a

quarter of a million visitors each year, has landed the Bronze medal in the ‘Tourism

Experience of the Year’ category of the English Tourist Board’s 2012 ‘Visit England’

Awards.

The railway outstripped almost 400 other visitor attractions to gain its place on the

rostrum in a competition which English tourism regards as the ‘Oscars’ of the

industry.

“You can’t buy the kind of prestige that comes with a ‘Visit England’ award”, said

SVR Assistant Visitor Services Manager Lisa Smith, after the railway received its

accolade from ‘Visit England’ Chairman, Penelope, Viscountess Cobham, and David

Hodgkinson, sales director of Barclaycard, who sponsored the award.

“It’s like getting three Michelin stars all at once, or qualifying for the EUFA

Champions League” she said. “We’re right up there with the Manchester Citys, the

Manchester Uniteds and the Arsenals of the tourism industry, and without wishing to

sound boastful, I have to say we’ve worked really hard for it. This is a very proud

time for the railway.”



The Gold medal was awarded to Livingstone Lodge, part of the Aspinall

Foundation’s Wild Animal Park near Hythe, Kent which specialises in providing an

‘African Safari’ experience on a 100-acre ‘simulated Savanna’, while the Silver

award went to ‘Via Ferrata’, a climbing and walking experience, based on a working

slate mine at Honister Pass near Borrowdale in the Lake District.

The ‘Visit England ‘ award comes hot on the heels of another travel and tourism

accolade for the Severn Valley Railway, which in April was named as the UK’s most

coach-friendly historic visitor attraction, in the national competition organised by The

Transport Events Group, and supported by The Coach Tourism Council and the

Group Travel Organisers Association.

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