MANDURAH VISITOR CENTRE JOINS ELITE GROUP

“This is fantastic news.  The WA Elite Awards recognise excellence in customer service for tourism businesses throughout Western Australia,” Mayor Creevey said.

“It shows that our visitor centre, one of nine visitor centres in the state that entered the awards, has been acknowledged for its exceptional service.”
 
Mandurah Visitor Centre on the eastern foreshore received a score of 70 per cent in the first visit and 95 per cent in the second after a mystery shopper visited the centre in November and again in December last year.  The ‘most improved’ award is given to a business that has the highest percentage increase from the first to the second visit.

The mystery shopping visits are undertaken by representatives from market research company Synovate to each nominated tourism business or visitor centre over a three-month period.

Mayor Creevey said the final scores were based purely on the visitors’ experience when they visit the tourism business.

“Congratulations to the staff and volunteers at Mandurah Visitor Centre who were described by their mystery shopper as ‘smiling and friendly, attentive and genuinely helpful’.  The performance report also described the whole experience as excellent, enjoyable and informative,” Mayor Creevey said.

“It was good to see that the Miami Bakehouse was awarded “Most Improved” in the tourist business category of the awards.  I commend its management and staff on their achievement as well.”

The Visitor Centre category was the most highly entered category in the awards with Broome Visitor Centre announced as the overall winner at Tourism Council WA Elite Awards ceremony held at the Burswood Entertainment Complex on Saturday, February 16.

The Elite Awards are a new initiative from Tourism Council WA.  Mandurah Visitor Centre has been nominated for the next round of the awards, which should be announced in May 2008.

RELEASE ENDS

19 February 2008