VisitEngland have re-awarded the Isle of Wight’s Monkey Haven as a VisitEngland Quality Assured Visitor Attraction.
In his written report, assessor Nigel Philpott praised signage, displays, website and the “excellent App that has proven a hit with audiences”. He also said that he enjoyed the daily talks and feeds, which he described as “very engaging, fun and informative”.
The attraction, which is based on Staplers Road on the outskirts of Newport, was awarded a ‘very high’ quality score of 90%. The last time Monkey Haven was assessed, in 2016, the team achieved 87%. This fantastic score puts the attraction in the running for a prestigious Gold Award, which is the ultimate gong for tourist attractions in England.
Don Walser, Monkey Haven’s Founder has said:
“We struck Gold in 2016 and now we hope we’ll do it again. We’ve been working really hard to continually improve, and to make our animals and visitors as happy as we can.
“We’re continually reinvesting in the park, so that we can care for new animals, build enclosures, create fun signage, and develop the website and App. We don’t stand still here!”
Monkey Haven has also been put forward for a Best Told Story accolade, which is awarded to attractions that communicate their message particularly clearly and effectively.
Don continued:
“People thought we were bonkers when we bought a muddy field, nine years ago, and announced that we were going to care for rescued primates… but look at us now! We’re the top small attraction in England and in the running for another Gold award and the Best Told Story. And we owe all this to our amazing supporters.”
The VisitEngland report was received just hours after the team discovered that they’d won Best Animal Day Out in the South East in a dayoutwiththekids.co.uk competition.
