An Aberdeen visitor attraction has been given a top accolade by Tripadvisor.
Aberdeen Science Centre, recently underwent a £6million redevelopment, which is proving popular with visitors young and old.
Now it has been given Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice award, joining a mere 10% of businesses on the website to achieve it.
The site, where travellers are encouraged to rate and review restaurants, attractions and hotels, is the largest travel platform in the world.
The Traveller’s Choice is awarded to places that consistently receive high ratings from visitors, and it must receive an overall rating of at least four out of five stars.
Kanika Soni, chief commercial officer at Tripadvisor, said: “The Travellers’ Choice Awards highlight the places that are consistently excellent – delivering quality experiences time and time again even while navigating changing customer expectations and new ways of working.
“Based on a full year of reviews from customers, this award speaks to the great service and experience you provided guests in the midst of a pandemic.”
Like most visitor attractions, Aberdeen Science Centre was closed during the pandemic, but reopened at the end of April.
Ms Soni said it had been a challenging year for tourism businesses, adding: “What has impressed me is how businesses adapted to these challenges, implementing new cleanliness measures, adding social distancing guidelines, and utilising technology to prioritise guest safety.”
Redevelopment
Bryan Snelling, chief executive of Aberdeen Science Centre, was most delighted that the award was based on visitor experience.
He said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded the Travellers’ Choice award by Tripadvisor, especially as it is based solely on the feedback from our visitors, who have praised the huge range of interactive exhibits we offer, our engaging staff and fascinating science demonstrations.
“This fantastic endorsement comes despite a challenging first year amid the Covid-19 pandemic, but we are pleased to be open seven days a week and are looking forward to welcoming school groups for the first time this year, as well as offering birthday parties and corporate events.
“We’re delighted our guests love the new-look science centre as much as we do.”
The science centre’s upgrade has created new exhibit space, including humanoid acting robot RoboThespian, immersive theatre experience and more than 60 new interactive activities.
A new mezzanine floor also means the space as a whole feels more open and airy, making the space more modern and bright.