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The Minister will visit Glangwili Mansion, Llanllawddog, Carmarthenshire which has been listed for the first time, having only opened its doors to visitors for the first time in October 2008. Glangwili Mansion joins 33 other Guest Accommodation businesses and 13 hotels which have made it to the top.

The aim of the Gold Award is to recognise and reward outstanding quality, exceptional comfort and hospitality in the serviced accommodation sector in Wales. The Heritage Minister congratulated the tourism businesses which have been listed, he said:

“The gold award businesses exceed customer expectation and are first class products in all respects.  These businesses are making an exceptional contribution to the quality of the Welsh tourism product and they are to be commended for their efforts. The introduction of this award signifies that Wales is serious about raising the quality of its tourism product.”

George and Linda Reid of Glangwili Mansion were delighted to be listed and said:

“It is a great honour to receive this award in our first year of business. It was always our intention to develop a product that would make style, quality, comfort and exceptional service, synonymous with Wales in the eyes of our visitors.”

Glangwili Mansion is also a member of Wales in Style, which has very recently published a new book on the finest places to stay, eat and visit in Wales.  Simon Wright, editor of the book, is a food writer, restaurant-owner and broadcaster based in Carmarthenshire. He is a former editor of the AA Restaurant Guide, consultant to Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares and presenter of the BBC Wales series The Wright Taste. He is also a partner in Y Polyn restaurant, Nantgaredig.

While in Carmarthenshire, the Heritage Minister and Rural Affairs Minister will meet with Simon Wright and will be presented with copies of the new book while at Y Polyn, Nanatgaredig.

The book is an independently selected guide to some of the finest places to stay, eat and visit in Wales, that offers a one-stop guide to making the most of a break in Wales.

In introducing the book, Simon Wright, said:

“Wales is putting on the style in its own distinctive way.  Fantastic places to stay, eat and visit are popping up all over the place fuelled by the enthusiasm of people who are excited about the people are improving alongside each other - if a good place to stay opens, the guests will need a good place to eat, and quality shops and activities follow. The Wales in Style book, like the Wales in Style website, exists to bring all that together and I believe it is evidence, if proof were needed, that Wales now offers some of the best places to stay, eat and have fun, in the UK.  We’re not just catching-up with the pack, we’re beginning to lead the way.”

On the menu for discussion at Y Polyn was the Strategic Food Tourism Action Plan which was launched by both Ministers earlier in the summer.  Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones said:

"Earlier this year the Heritage Minister and I launched the Food Tourism Action Plan. The plan aims to help us develop links between food and tourism so that we can capitalise on the economic benefits of providing visitors with a unique, high quality and distinctive food experience. The Wales in Style book goes one step further, providing visitors with a complete guide of where to stay, shop and eat in Wales. It is an impressive publication which reinforces the message of Wales as an excellent place to visit and a destination where high quality and distinctive food is widely available."

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About Visit Wales

Visit Wales is the Welsh Assembly Government's tourism team, within the Department for Heritage.