Wanganui's visitor information centre has scored highly in an independent tourism rating process.
The centre has retained its Qualmark Endorsement and improved on its previous assessment with an overall score of 88.4 per cent - well above the pass mark of 60 per cent.
Councillor Rob Vinsen, chairman of Wanganui District council's
Discover Wanganui committee, said that during its on-site assessment by Qualmark the centre's staffing and business operations were examined in detail, with a focus on the quality of customer service, staff training and welfare, environmental responsibility, as well as cultural and heritage considerations.
"We have made a large investment to ensure our information centre alongside the Whanganui River is the best in the country, so we were confident of achieving a good score," Mr Vinsen said.
"It was great to get good, constructive feedback across the board. We still have work to do, but the visitor centre team is to be congratulated for the level of customer service offered, as this was one of the areas where we gained the maximum score."
Opened in October 2010, the visitor information centre on Taupo Quay was a controversial project from the start.
Located in a disused building more than a century old, the project was originally to cost $1.1 million but ballooned to more than $2 million.
The Qualmark Endorsement is an indication that a business has been through a comprehensive and independent assessment process, ensuring quality standards and environmental criteria are met.
Qualmark's assessment and licensing process can also help businesses improve practices and capability.
Qualmark is a joint venture between Tourism New Zealand and the New Zealand Automobile Association.
