The Historic Dockyard Chatham wins the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Gold Award at 2024/25 Beautiful South Awards
We are thrilled to announce that The Historic Dockyard Chatham has been awarded the prestigious Accessible and Inclusive Tourism GOLD Award at 2024/25 Beautiful South Awards. The awards, presented annually by Tourism South East, recognise businesses that go above and beyond to deliver outstanding experiences.
75 finalists from the best tourism and hospitality businesses in South East England attended a glittering awards ceremony at the Grand Brighton hosted by Toby Anstis, one of the nation’s best-loved radio and tv presenters.
The Historic Dockyard Chathamβs commitment to accessibility is demonstrated through initiatives like regular Audio Described and British Sign Language Tours, a monthly Dementia CafΓ©, and the introduction of Sensory Support Backpacks. These efforts are further supported by ongoing staff training, ensuring that everyone visiting the Dockyard, or engaging with its stories, feels genuinely welcome and supported. By proactively addressing both real and perceived barriers the Dockyard has made its 400-year history more accessible, engaging and inclusive for all. This commitment has had a profound impact, which is frequently reflected in overwhelmingly positive feedback from visitors.
Lynnette Crisp, Director of Public Engagement, Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust said: “Winning the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism GOLD Award is an incredible honour and a testament to the unwavering commitment of our entire team to make The Historic Dockyard Chatham welcoming and inclusive for everyone. In our 40th anniversary year, this recognition feels particularly special as it highlights the great strides weβve made in creating meaningful, inclusive experiences for a diverse range of visitors – both here at the Historic Dockyard and within our local community. We are proud to be leading the way in accessibility and inclusion within the tourism sector, and this award inspires us to continue breaking down barriers so that visiting us or connecting with our stories becomes a reality for all.“
Fran Downton, Chief Executive of Tourism South East said: βCongratulations to all our winners. It was a real honour to play host to such truly exceptional businesses. The strength of our winners is testament to the incredible standards and unwavering quality of the Souths tourism and hospitality products. I am extremely grateful to the sponsors and the partnership with The Grand in Brighton that made this event extra special. Tourism South East look forward to celebrating with our winners and working alongside them as they lead the way throughout this coming year.β
Awards Director, Nell Barrington said: βWe were absolutely thrilled with the number and quality of entries this year which has made it tougher than ever before for our judges. Thank you to everyone who entered and has supported these awards and congratulations to all the winners.β
Winning businesses in some categories will also have the opportunity to compete nationally and represent the South East at the 2025 VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.
