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Chester Zoo has today been named as the best rated zoo in the UK in the Travellers’ Choice TM awards for Zoos and Aquariums, announced by TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site*.
The Cheshire zoo, which is home to over 11,000 animals of over 400 species set in 110 acres of zoological gardens, is also named second best rated zoo in Europe and sixth in the world.
Jamie Christon, managing director of Chester Zoo said, “We’re absolutely delighted to have received the seal of approval from the public and named the best zoo in the UK and indeed one of the very best in the world.”
“Our sincere thanks go to every single person that has come here because, as a registered charity, their visits help us to carry out all of our vital conservation work – saving species from extinction both here in the UK and overseas.”
It’s not just Cheshire that has cause to celebrate this year; the awards reveal that the UK is home to more award-winning zoos in 2014 than any other European country, with eight zoos ranked in Europe’s top 25. Chester Zoo in Cheshire, Colchester Zoo in Essex, Paignton Zoo Environmental Park in Devon, Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo in South Wales, Blackpool Zoo in Lancashire, Durrell Wildlife Park in Jersey, Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens in Oxfordshire and Knowsley Safari in Merseyside take second, eighth, ninth, thirteenth, fourteenth, twenty-first, twenty-second and twenty-fifth respectively.
The UK also boasts three winners among the world’s top 25 – second only to the US, which claims the most world winners with nine.
Within the UK, it is the North West that takes the lead with more TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards for Zoos than anywhere else in the country. Chester Zoo in Cheshire, Blackpool Zoo in Lancashire, Knowsley Safari in Liverpool and South Lakes Safari Zoo in Dalton-in-Furness take first, fifth, eighth and ninth place in the UK respectively.
“These awards are based on the millions of reviews and opinions written by our global community of travellers, so if you’re looking for some inspiration for a great family day out, the UK winners are a great addition to your summer holidays hit list,” commented TripAdvisor spokesperson, James Kay.
Nebraska’s Henry Doorly Zoo in the United States earns the coveted position of number one zoo in the world.
Honour for Hull as aquarium is named in European top 10
In the aquariums category, The Deep in the Yorkshire city of Hull is revealed as the ninth best aquarium in Europe. National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth and Lyme Regis Marine Aquarium in Dorset also rank in Europe’s top 25. The world’s best rated aquarium is named as Monterey Bay Aquarium in California.
Travellers’ Choice awards honour top travel spots worldwide based on the millions of valuable reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travellers. Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews for zoos and aquariums worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period.
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Zoos – UK |
Zoos – World |
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1. Chester Zoo, Chester, Cheshire |
1. Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha, Nebraska |
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2. Colchester Zoo, Colchester, Essex |
2. San Diego Zoo, San Diego, California |
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3. Paignton Zoo Environmental Park, Devon |
3. Loro Parque, Puerto de la Cruz, Spain |
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4. Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo, Begelly, South Wales |
4. St. Louis Zoo, Saint Louis, Missouri |
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5. Blackpool Zoo, Blackpool, Lancashire |
5. Singapore Zoo, Singapore |
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6. Durrell Wildlife Park, Trinity, Jersey |
6. Chester Zoo, Chester, United Kingdom |
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7. Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens, Burford, Oxfordshire |
7. Prague Zoo (Zoo Praha), Prague, Czech Republic |
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8. Knowsley Safari, Liverpool, Merseyside |
8. Tiergarten Schoenbrunn – Zoo Vienna, Vienna, Austria |
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9. South Lakes Safari Zoo, Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria |
9. Bioparc Valencia, Valencia, Spain |
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10. Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park, Stirling, Scotland |
10. Gramado Zoo, Gramado, Brazil
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Zoos – Europe |
Aquariums – Europe |
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1. Loro Parque, Puerto de la Cruz, Spain |
1. Oceanario de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal |
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2. Chester Zoo, Chester, United Kingdom |
2. Aquaworld Aquarium, Hersonissos, Greece |
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3. Prague Zoo (Zoo Praha), Prague, Czech Republic |
3. Mundomar, Benidorm, Spain |
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4. Tiergarten Schoenbrunn – Zoo Vienna, Vienna, Austria |
4. Aquarium La Rochelle, La Rochelle, France |
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5. Bioparc Valencia, Valencia, Spain |
5. Genoa Aquarium, Genoa, Italy |
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6. Palmitos Park, Maspalomas, Spain |
6. Nausicaa, Centre National de la Mer, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France |
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7. ZooParc de Beauval, Saint-Aignan, France |
7. Aquario Vasco da Gama, Lisbon, Portugal |
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8. Colchester Zoo, Colchester, United Kingdom |
8. Istanbul Aquarium, Istanbul, Turkey |
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9. Paignton Zoo Environmental Park, Paignton, United Kingdom |
9. The Deep, Kingston-Upon-Hull, United Kingdom |
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10. La Palmyre Zoo, La Palmyre-Les Mathes, France |
10. Turkuazoo Aquarium, Istanbul, Turkey |
For the complete list of winners from the 2014 Travellers’ Choice Zoos and Aquariums, as well as reviews and candid traveller photos, go to:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/TravellersChoice-Attractions-cZoos
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/TravellersChoice-Attractions-cAquariums
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