High quality and customer service excellence in the Isle of Man’s hospitality industry was recognised recently at the 2014 Taste Awards and Tourism Accolades.
 
David Cretney MHK, the Department’s Member with responsibility for Tourism and Motorsport presented the awards. He said:
 
‘I was very impressed with the number of industry members achieving excellence and note that there is already a waiting list of interested parties seeking recognition for next year.
 
‘As laid out in our strategy for the Visitor Economy we are committed to helping drive up quality. This is the most competitive industry in the world so it’s important that we continue to raise our standards and facilities in line with the expectations of both visitors and local residents.
 
‘These awards recognise the high achievers in our local industry and I would like to thank and congratulate them for their dedication and the tremendous effort they put into their businesses.
 
‘The Visitor Economy is an important wealth generator for the Isle of Man and as well as being a source of jobs and revenue. The quality of our hotels and eateries is also a key factor in attracting valuable new residents to the Island.’
 
The Highest Quality Assured, Quality Assured and Harvest Scheme Taste awards are presented to food and drink establishments and Silver, Gold and Breakfast accolades to Accommodation providers. 
 
There were 49 food and drink establishments recognised with 22 being awarded ‘Highest Quality Assured’.
 
Sixteen Gold and three Silver accolades were awarded to accommodation providers. Eleven of these properties were registered and inspected for the first time this year reflecting the new businesses that have opened and the growth in bed spaces.
Additionally, a number of accommodation providers were accredited under the newly introduced National Accessible Scheme for the provision of accommodation for those visitors with mobility, hearing and visual issues.
 
Each of these establishments had demonstrated a serious commitment to providing accessible accommodation by joining the scheme at their own cost and making any necessary adjustments to their property.
 
Mr Cretney continued:
 
‘I’m delighted to say that every applicant was successfully accredited and we now have a portfolio of accommodation to offer to visitors with restricted mobility.’
 
The 2014-15 Taste Isle of Man Directory has now been published and 15,000 copies are being distributed Island-wide. Copies can also be downloaded from www.visitislofman.com/taste or collected from a Taste accredited venue or from the Welcome Centre at the Sea Terminal in Douglas.