2,500 hospitality establishments and leisure destinations – including hotels, restaurants, self-catering properties, and campsites – have now been accredited as AA COVID CONFIDENT. South West and North Yorkshire are COVID CONFIDENT capitals of the UK, as Devon and Cornwall lead the way.
AA approved destinations include 814 self-catering properties, 572 guest accommodation properties, 449 hotels, 304 restaurants, 122 campsites and 74 pubs, with the full list of over 2,500 AA COVID CONFIDENT establishments listed and searchable at www.ratedtrips.com/list.
Devon currently leads the way with the highest number of AA COVID CONFIDENT accredited properties, at 265, followed by Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly with 210, North Yorkshire with 141, and Somerset with 108. Hot on their heels, Northumberland and London now both have 93 approved establishments, Cumbria has 85, Dorset has 80, Norfolk has 75, and Gloucestershire has 64.
Designed to support the hospitality industry in re-establishing and rebuilding consumer confidence, while giving customers reassurance, AA COVID CONFIDENT accreditation indicates that establishments have the necessary protective measures in place.
Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media, commented: “The AA team has been working hard to work through the thousands of applications we’ve received, and are delighted to reach the landmark of 2,500 properties now deemed COVID CONFIDENT. From assessing each application, it’s clear that the hospitality sector is showing incredible resilience, creativity, and care in ensuring they are doing all they can to protect staff and customers from COVID-19, while striving to rebuild their businesses.”
Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive at UKHospitality: “Consumer confidence will play a huge part in the reopening of the hospitality sector. If guests do not have the peace of mind they need, they are simply going to stay away. All the hard work that venues have put into making themselves safe and ready to accept guests will be undone. AA’s COVID CONFIDENT scheme is a great way of letting customers know that we are safe, secure, and ready and eager to welcome them back through our doors.”
The AA has been trusted by the public as a source of hospitality ratings and recommendations, and by the industry as a benchmark for quality, for over 112 years. RatedTrips.com lists over 12,000 AA and VisitEngland rated and recommended hotels, restaurants, pubs, B&Bs, self-catering cottages, caravan and campsites, and beyond, as well as offering travel inspiration via city guides, recommended things to do, information on local attractions, ideas for days out, and suggested places to visit.
