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Top accolade for Sunderland Tourist Attraction

Sunderland’s National Glass Centre is celebrating after it was named Best Tourism Experience in this year’s North East England Tourism Awards.??

It beat stiff competition from 40 businesses who were competing for an award across a range of categories that reflect quality, performance and innovation of the region’s tourism sector.

??The centre was shortlisted for Best Tourism Experience Award alongside adventure park, Go Ape in Matfen, and surfing in North Tyneside. ??

Newly appointed director James Bustard said: “This award acknowledges the very special cultural experience we offer at NGC and the exceptional standards of delivery which our public facing teams provide, bit it at front-of-house or in the NGC Studio.

??“It is a fantastic achievement and puts us up in the first rank of visitor attractions and cultural destinations in the North East region.” ??

He went on to thank staff at NGC for their hard work in achieving the recognition.??

It has been 13 years since the NGC was opened by Prince Charles on the former site of J.L Thompson ship yard, and it now receives over 165,000 visitors a year. ??

This latest success has come at a time when UK theatres, galleries, and arts organisations are seeing dwindling budgets, however the Arts Council England recognised the centre’s importance in the region, and secured another three years of funding for it in March this year. ??

Mr Bustard had been planning retirement, but since the University of Sunderland took over the NGC last May, the lure of working as director seemed too great. ??

Under his leadership, the centre will bring the university’s arts based foundation degree in-house, adding to the visitors’ experience of live glass making, along with investment to the upper floor of the gallery.??

There is also plans to bring the International Institute for Glass Research, hidden in the bowels of the building, to the upper floor to give this prestigious organisation visibility to the public.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .