Introduction
Forget the Eiffel Tower, ignore the Empire State Building, and skip the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona — the number one tourist attraction in the world might be much closer to home.
According to travel review site TripAdvisor, the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh has been awarded the 'Best of the Best Things to Do' in the attraction category of its annual awards.
Britannia, which was constructed in Clydebank and launched in 1953, was used by the late Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal family for 44 years before being decommissioned in 1997 and converted into a tourist attraction docked at Leith.
It draws thousands of tourists from around the world annually, many of whom have already visited the city's most famous landmarks.
"They are coming for the castle and staying for the boat," says Scott Shaw, a tour guide in Edinburgh, who believes the yacht deserves its top ranking.
"It goes without saying that they are excellent," Shaw adds, referring to the staff. "They take a pride in their job. I never have a worry when I leave my guests to explore the Royal Yacht Britannia because I'm leaving them in good hands."
Frank Bruyère, the chief executive of the attraction, concurs that providing a positive customer experience is crucial to its success.
"Five-star for us is the goal," he states. "Four-star is not quite where we want to be." He notes that people tend to leave negative comments more readily, thinking it helps improve things, but he is grateful for the many positive reviews the Britannia experience has received. "The fact that the volume of people are actually taking the time to provide a very positive review for us is magical," Bruyère says.
Visitor Experience and Ticket Information
For £25, visitors can access the yacht via a visitor centre located in the Ocean Terminal shopping centre.
From there, they can select an audio guide available in 42 different languages before exploring the yacht's five decks, which include the Royal apartments, the State dining room, and the State drawing room.
Some sections of the yacht are not safe for public access, so a virtual reality experience has been developed to provide additional behind-the-scenes views.
The History
Britannia was built and launched at the John Brown & Company shipyard in Clydebank in 1953.
During its service, it was used for 968 state visits and hosted numerous world leaders, dignitaries, and celebrities such as Winston Churchill, President Eisenhower, and Frank Sinatra.
The ship covered over one million nautical miles and was operated by a dedicated crew of 220 members.
It was not only used for official Royal Family business but also for family holidays.
Every year, for two weeks, Britannia would sail around the Hebrides, allowing the Royal family to escape their duties and enjoy a holiday.
Bruyère remarks, "There is a famous quote where the Queen said that this was the only place where she could really relax. Away from everybody, they had the opportunity to be human, the opportunity to be a mother, grandparents, and that, to me, is the touching part."
Visitor Opinions
On Wednesday, among the visitors to the "world's top attraction" were Alim and Roma Malik from India.
Roma expressed that she believes the ship deserves its new accolade.
"I liked it because I got to know about the way the rich and the Queen were living. It was my first experience of seeing the way those people lived, the facilities given to them, the royal treatment they received," she said.
Her husband Alim offered a different perspective on the yacht's ranking.
"I've been to lots of famous landmarks like the Empire State Building and the Eiffel Tower and I think they're better but they are completely different," he said. "They are all judged differently."
Dominique and Thomas Tempesta were visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia from France as part of their road trip across Scotland.
Dominique shared her enjoyment of the attraction.
"There was a lot of information about the ship, the Queen's history and the people who worked on the boat," she said. However, she was not prepared to concede that it was better than the Eiffel Tower in her home country. "There is a story here with historic events and it is about the Royal family so it's very different."
Thomas added,
"It's a part of history, it's a part of the story of the Royal family and helps share it across the world."
However, not all visitors were positive.
Christibe Coubluq, also from France, visited the Ocean Terminal attraction but did not board the yacht.
"I wanted to go but it was too expensive," she said. She also criticized the location of the boat. "I didn't think the entrance would be through a shopping mall," she added. "I expected it to be from some sort of quay."
TripAdvisor Ranking and Other Scottish Attractions
TripAdvisor does not disclose the exact method it uses to determine its top attraction, stating that it relies on the quality and quantity of reviews as well as an editorial process.
Whatever the secret algorithm, it appears to be working well for the Royal Yacht Britannia, which has been named the top UK tourist attraction four times in the past 12 years.
It is not the only Scottish tourist attraction to rank highly; The Real Mary King's Close, also in Edinburgh, was sixth on the list.
