20th June 2012

HONITON: Art gallery gains Visit England rose

By Anders Larsson

A Honiton gallery has passed an assessment to gain Visit England VAQAS status.

VAQAS stands for Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme and is only awarded to attractions complying with strict criteria.

Honiton and Tiverton MP Neil Parish will travel to Thelma Hulbert gallery on Friday, June 22nd to formally present the official VisitEngland rose to confirm the new-won status.

The East Devon District Council-run facility recently went through a refurbishment and expansion, and a spokesperson for the council said: “Thelma Hulbert Gallery has been granted major tourist attraction status, making it the only quality assured visitor attraction in Honiton, and for several miles around.

“Art enthusiasts from all over Great Britain have been impressed with their visits to the gallery since it first opened over 14 years ago, and the improvements made in 2009/10 have simply made it even better.

“The gallery is now the ideal stopping off point for culture-loving tourists who are travelling to Cornwall and the Tate at St Ives.

“Honiton also boasts many award winning eateries and good local pubs, making a trip to the Thelma Hulbert Gallery part of the perfect day out for visitors to the Jurrassic Coast during this Olympic summer."

The VAQAS scheme is managed by VisitEngland and caters for visitor attractions of all sizes.

The scheme encourages participants to make VAQAS work for them as a management tool.