The Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS) is run on behalf of VisitBritain, the UK’s official national tourist organisation, by the East of England Tourist Board. The scheme was launched in 2001 and to date has accredited about 600 attractions around the UK.

The scheme is a customer-focused third-party assessment. Attractions apply to be assessed and pay for the privilege. They are visited once during their normal opening hours for their initial assessment, and annually thereafter if they request it. There is no grading scheme; the attractions are each assessed on their own merits ‘using objective quality benchmarks provided by the industry’, says VAQAS. But the object of the exercise is that the visitor experience should be of a high quality from initial enquiry to departure. This is not claiming to be a value for money assessment or a guarantee of minimum facilities – if an attraction doesn’t have parking or catering, for example, the venues is not down-graded because of that but is assessed on what it does do. This is inevitable as attractions may range from Hampton Court to a small art gallery.

To find out more visit the VAQAS website at: http://www.vaqas.org.uk/