Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum has won an Award of Excellence based on feedback from customers from North America.

One of the most popular attractions in Scotland and the city’s flagship civic museum, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is managed by the charity, Glasgow Life.

The Award was given by Irish coach tour operator, CIE Tours, which recognises the quality of the UK’s hotels and visitor attractions by giving an Award of Excellence to those who have received a greater than 90% customer satisfaction rating over the previous year.

The awards are based on feedback on around 300 providers of accommodation, dining, tours and attractions from throughout the UK, with awards being given to all venues achieving over 90% in satisfaction.  The providers with the best satisfaction score in each category are recognised with a Gold Award.

CIE Tours Ireland’s leading in-bound tour operators, having - over the course of its 91-year history - brought more than three million visitors from North America to tour Ireland.

Since the 1990’s, CIE Tours’ offerings have included Scotland and the rest of the UK, with combination tours of Scotland/UK and Ireland becoming some of the most popular in recent years. 

In 2022, demand for combined tours of Scotland and Ireland exceeded other destinations, reaching 2019 levels and 2023 is already on course to exceed this benchmark.

Glasgow Life Museums is pleased to share new bookable group and fully independent traveller experiences at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, The Burrell Collection and Riverside Museum. Visitors to the city can Travel Through Time to the prohibition era of the 1920’s at Riverside Museum or experience the Spirit of The Clyde in a joint visit to Riverside Museum and The Clydeside Distillery. Groups can also go Behind the Scenes at The Burrell Collection for a VIP experience. From museum highlight tours to private early access and an Evening at the Museum option too, there is something to suit a variety of client interests. For more information on these bespoke packages, view the Travel Trade Brochure.

Stephen Cotter, Chief Operations Officer of CIE Tours said; “We are delighted to report a strong recovery in our Scottish and UK tours since international travel re-opened following the pandemic. I want to acknowledge the resilience of our tourism partners who, having had a very difficult few years, enthusiastically welcomed back our visitors once restrictions were lifted. Their professionalism is reflected in the feedback from our visitors with overall satisfaction levels in 2022 only slightly less than 2019, despite a very challenging year for travel. 

“We are very encouraged by the pipeline of bookings for the coming year, particularly in Scotland, which are ahead of expectations, and we look forward to ensuring that our partners and our host communities continue to benefit from our success in attracting visitors to travel to Scotland and the rest of the UK.”

Duncan Dornan, Head of Museums and Collections at Glasgow Life said: “The CIE Tours Award of Excellence is particularly important to Glasgow Life Museums because it is decided by customers. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who voted for Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum and recognised the work of the dedicated team of curators, guides, front of house staff, commercial team, and everyone behind the scenes, in providing the museum tours. This accolade supports the city’s aspirations for future economic development and the demand for more bespoke experiences in our museum venues.”

Mr Cotter concluded by warmly congratulating this year’s winners of a CIE Tours UK Award of Excellence on their achievements and thanked all the company’s partners who work closely with CIE Tours throughout the year.