The efforts of tourism businesses in the Inverness and Nairn area were being praised today (Friday) following formal recognition of their standard of customer service excellence.

Hospitality Assured, the quality assurance mark operated by Hotel and Catering International Management Association, the hospitality industry's worldwide professional body, was handed out to seven local businesses.  Although originally designed for hospitality and tourism businesses the scheme has been proved to raise standards of service delivery in any organisation

The scheme is supported and promoted by Inverness and Nairn Enterprise (INE).  Acting chief executive, Stuart Black, said the recognition was important to Highland tourism and was a reflection of the sector's emphasis on training and skills development.

He added:  "There is no doubt that most businesses in the Highlands, providing services to the tourism sector, take skills development very seriously.  Only by taking this approach can we be sure to provide visitors to the area with world class customer service.  I am delighted this attitude and the contribution it makes to tourism and the image of the Highlands generally, is now being encouraged and recognised formally in this way.  I would urge all tourism-related, and indeed businesses from other sectors as well, to consider applying for this prestigious quality assurance mark."

John Thurso MP present the awards at a special lunch held in Inverness Airport to: Daviot Mains Guest House, Sunnybrae Hotel in Nairn, Maple Court Hotel in Inverness, Loch Ness Lodge Hotel in Drumnadrochit, Royal Highland Hotel in Inverness, Glen Mhor Hotel in Inverness and Inverness Airport.

Kate Kennedy, general manager of the Royal Highland Hotel, said: "Hospitality Assured provided the framework for us to develop our business. It helped us to express what we were trying to achieve and why, how we were going to do it, and it also provided us with the measurement tools to ensure that we have a basis for continuous improvement"

Alex Hutcheson from The Lodge at Daviot Mains "The Hospitality Assured framework focused our attention on the importance of the finer details of business success and taught us the value of customer feedback as a tool to move the business forward."