Southampton has topped a list of the most welcoming UK cities for tourists, according to a poll conducted on behalf of hotel chain Jurys Inn.
The least welcoming city is London, according to the list.
The Jurys Inn Spotlight on Service survey, which was released to coincide with British Tourism Week (15 March-21 March), polled 4,000 adults in 30 cities across the country.
The most welcoming cities in the UK were:
- Southampton
- Norwich
- Exeter
- Brighton
- Plymouth
- York
- Oxford
- Nottingham
- Derby
- Portsmouth
The most unwelcoming cities in the UK were:
- London
- Glasgow
- Bradford
- Birmingham
- Liverpool
- Manchester
- Aberdeen
- Wolverhampton
- Belfast
- Leeds
The survey also revealed that 55% of people would stay in a hotel again if they received excellent customer service and a warm welcome. Only 4% wouldn't consider customer service when deciding to stay in a hotel again.
Meanwhile, a majority of 51% of respondents agreed that the most important factor when staying at a hotel is a clean and comfortable room.
John Brennan, CEO of Jurys Inn said: “London’s spot at the top of the unwelcoming list is a timely reminder to the service industry that we need to deliver exceptional customer service every time, especially with the spotlight on the UK in the lead up to London 2012. We think the secret to our success at Jurys Inn is based on the fact we hire staff for their friendliness, not just cookie cutter hotel backgrounds.”
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By Neil Gerrard
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