Rick Steves approved tour features in TripAdvisors top 10 % in world

Rick Steves, who is a renowned travel writer, recommended Go Cotswolds in one of his travel guides when he visited the Cotswolds in 2019.

And now Go Cotswolds has been listed in the world's top 10 per cent after winning the  TripAdvisor Traveller's Choice Award for 2023.

Lisa Benjamin founded the tour guide business nine years ago alongside her husband Tom.

And the team behind the family-run business said they were "gobsmacked" by how quickly their business has grown and flourished over the past few years.

Although this isn't the first time Go Cotswold has been listed in the top 10 per cent around the world, they are still very proud of the team.

TripAdvisor features Go Cotswolds in top 10 per cent in world (Image: Go Cotswolds Ltd)

Mrs Benjamin said: "We've only been doing this for nine years and we are gobsmacked.

"We feel very grateful and lucky.

"It is incredible, TripAdvisor is the biggest tourist website in the world.

"Rick Steves mentioned our tour in one of the travel guides.

"He visited us in 2019.

"A lot of visitors come from America after his recommendations.

"We have visitors from the USA, and Canada because it is quite different to America.

"A lot of people who visit us from America have connections to England."

Mini-buses pick up visitors from Stratford-upon-Avon or Moreton-in-Marsh before taking them to visit six different locations in the location.

Visitors will also be given the chance to take a glimpse of a "secret village" called Snowshill near Broadway.

The team is currently busy expanding its business and hopes to add another minibus by summer to keep up with demands.

"I think there are more demands now after Covid-19 because it's the Covid bounce back after being locked away for so long and not being able to travel.

"And there is a lot of history on social media, there is great reach from people over the world. 

"Our tour guides provide a solution for when people want to come to the Cotswolds."