Best University Accommodation for Groups award won for the eleventh year in a row at the Group Travel Organiser’s Awards.
The award is voted for by readers of the magazine and focuses on all aspects of the University’s offering for group booking including pre-visit information, transport, accommodation, catering and attractions.
During its spring and summer vacation periods, the University regularly hosts over 1,000 residential events and accommodates more than 135,000 delegates at its Canterbury campus, providing a huge economic benefit to the city of Canterbury and the wider area.
Figures for 2018 show that the University will host over 650 residential events and groups from countries including UK, USA, Germany, Japan, France and China and sell over 155,000 bed nights, generating in the region of £4.5 million which is re-invested into the student residential estate and facilities.
Additionally, the business generated by the Conference office during vacation periods creates employment for around 250 full-time staff and a further 500 casual employees.
Sheena Butterworth, Conference Manager, said: ‘We are absolutely thrilled to win this award for an incredible eleventh consecutive year. It’s particularly special as it’s the readers and our clients who have consistently voted for us each year.
‘We are proud to deliver a very high standard of accommodation for groups here at the University, along with outstanding customer service of our team, all of which drives the continued success in winning this national award year after year.’