We are delighted to announce that the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich won Gold in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2020 awards.

The awards champion the very best of the country’s tourism industry, celebrating quality, innovation and best practice and follows the recent success of the Old Royal Naval College winning the London Visitor Attraction of the Year in March 2020.

Sasha Greig (Head of Visitor Experience, Retail & Marketing) and Matthew Mees (CEO)

Matthew Mees, CEO, the Old Royal Naval College said; “We are overjoyed to receive one of the most coveted accolades in English tourism and to get this recognition from our peers. The re-opening of the Painted Hall in 2019 was an opportunity to launch a new offer for visitors that includes a ‘500 years of history’ tour, opening up of previously inaccessible spaces, new interpretation and an exceptional multi-media guide. By actively telling our 500-year story we have also attracted visitors who are not just interested in art and architecture of the Painted Hall and our Baroque buildings but also passionate about the Tudors, Royal Navy and histories of all the people who have lived in our grounds and in Greenwich.”

Sasha Greig, Head of Visitor Experience, Retail and Marketing said: “This award is a massive acknowledgement of the amazing work that our staff and volunteers contribute to making the Old Royal Naval College a wonderful place to be and making us a successful visitor attraction; from keeping our grounds and buildings safe, clean and accessible, to researching and sharing our stories, delivering exceptional events, welcoming our visitors, and providing the best possible experiences for everyone.”

The Old Royal Naval College is an extraordinary cultural destination in the heart of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its magnificent Baroque buildings and grounds are one of London’s most popular visitor attractions, welcoming over 1.2 million visitors every year.

The winners were announced via a special virtual ceremony on 17 August 2020 and were selected from hundreds of tourism businesses across England including hotels, self-catering accommodation, B&Bs, glamping operators, attractions, restaurants, pubs, museums and conference venues.