Palace Cleaners Reach Finals of Tourism Superstars

The six-strong team of Sonia Serna, Alison Darke, Ewelina Krawiecka, Charlotte White, Dorota Tarasek and Nell Clarke has reached the final of the annual event.

Now in its tenth year, VisitEngland’s Tourism Superstar competition celebrates the dedication and passion of those working in the tourism industry.

This year’s competition also recognises the amazing efforts made by teams across the industry in the face of the pandemic.

“Our incredible cleaning team take on board jobs that only a very few people are willing to do, and they work incredibly hard to make sure the Palace always lives up to the high standards that our guests deserve,” said Blenheim Palace’s Deputy Collections Manager Carmen Alvarez, who nominated them for the award.

“Throughout the pandemic cleaning and disinfecting became a huge part of the reason we were able to open our doors to visitors between lockdowns, and they made sure our guests felt safe and happy to come back.

“As well as cleaning, they also play a vital part in monitoring this historic building and the priceless artworks, furniture and objects it contains.

“This side of their role was also an important one during the lockdowns as they had to look after more than 100 separate rooms as well as the staff areas – often working in isolation.

“They created their own rotas to make sure they didn’t miss a thing and they stayed on throughout caring for the collection, checking environmental levels, keeping away pests and dust accumulation,” she added.

Run in partnership with the Mirror newspaper, the competition recognises and celebrates those in the industry who go the extra mile to ensure tourists in England have an amazing and unforgettable visitor experience.

Blenheim Palace is among 10 finalists for the Tourism Superstar 2022 title. The public can watch short films from each of the candidates on the Mirror website where they can also vote for their favourite finalist. Voting is open until 22^nd March 2022.

To vote for the Blenheim Palace cleaning team go to https://www.mirror.co.uk/travel/uk-ireland/tourism-superstar-2022-meet-10-26203980