South West heads tourism customer service top 5

The South West of England has topped a list of the best five regions of customer service in British tourism.

The region attracted almost a quarter of the vote in a survey by the Institute of Customer Service (UKCSI).

The UKCSI also found that 85% of those Brits who took holidays in the UK did so through choice. Meanwhile it found that 73% of consumers rated British service as the same or better than that encountered abroad.

Encouragingly, only 3% described UK holiday service as "poor".

The latest UKCSI survey registers a customer satisfaction score of 81 out of 100 for the tourism industry, up from 80 in January of this year and from 79 this time last year, taking the sector to third overall in the league tables.

The top five regions for customer service in British tourism are:

1. Southwest England (24%)
2. Scotland (17%)
3. Wales (12%)
4. London (10%)
5. Northeast England (9%)

Jo Causon, chief executive at the Institute of Customer Service, said: "UK tourism appears to be going through something of a renaissance.

"The industry has capitalised on the trend for 'staycationing' in the recession to showcase what it now has to offer, and shake off any lingering image of Fawlty Towers-style poor service, inedible food and shabby accommodation.

"However, the London Olympics will be the largest peacetime mobilisation our country has ever faced. The British tourism industry can ill afford to rest on its laurels."

Two fifths (40%) of British consumers intend to take a holiday in the UK this year, while 45% have done so in the past two years. Only 15% of this group claim that they stay in the UK out of necessity.

The strong majority of consumers believe that UK tourism has significantly improved in recent years (88%), and describe Britain as a world-class tourist destination (87%).

Those holidaymakers preferring to travel abroad, do so due to the unreliable British weather (cited by 25% of respondents) and a need to 'get away from it all' (32%), as opposed to expectations of poor customer service.

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By Neil Gerrard

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