VisitEngland has named Newbury Racecourse as one of the top ten raceday experiences in England and Wales with particular praise for the service provided by Racecourse staff

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Newbury Racecourse has been announced as one of the top ten raceday experiences in England and Wales by national tourism board VisitEngland as part of the Racecourse Association’s (RCA) Quality Assured Racecourse Scheme (QARS).

The ranking was given following an independent assessment of the raceday experience at Newbury – conducted by a VisitEngland assessor – with areas such as the provision of pre-raceday information, ticket booking process, on-course experience and post-raceday communications all reviewed.

Julian Thick, Chief Executive of Newbury Racecourse, said: “We pride ourselves on the experience we offer our racegoers and to have this formally recognised is very pleasing. Our teams work extremely hard to ensure we provide the most welcoming and accessible environment possible and this recognition from VisitEngland is testament to that hard work.

As well as a top ten ranking, Newbury were also awarded a special accolade – given to racecourses who excelled in specific areas of the assessment – in the staff customer experience category.

Similar independent assessments were conducted at racecourses across England and Wales with the overall experience provided at racecourses in 2023 rising 5% from 2022.

Paul Swain, RCA Head of Raceday Experience & Communications, said: “We are delighted to share results of this long-standing scheme to recognise exceptional customer experiences. Working alongside globally recognised assessors of quality VisitEngland Assessment Services allows racecourses to receive a genuine barometer of their raceday experience, an area of vital importance as we collaborate to grow the sport. The increase in overall scores plus the additional Excellence Accolades awarded are testament to the investment put into raceday experience by racecourses, and the RCA will continue to work alongside its members to maintain this positive trend.”

Simon Numphud FIH, Managing Director, AA Media Limited, commented: “The professional assessments undertaken by VisitEngland Assessment Services once again demonstrated a high level of consistency in the raceday experience. It reflects the hard work of teams across racecourses and the focus they place on customer experience and delivering a fantastic day out. It was a pleasure to see so many of these courses recognised at the annual showcase event at Aintree back in November and our congratulations to the top ten courses.”