LOCALS and tourists alike will get the best of service on board the Arran ferry, after the staff were awarded with prestigious recognition.

Crew and port staff on the route are the first in Calmac to be officially awarded WorldHost Recognised Business status.

WorldHost is a suite of world-class customer service training programmes that have already been used to train over 10 per cent of Scotland’s tourism workforce.

More than 50 per cent of the company’s customer facing staff have now completed the training, making them eligible for the sought after WorldHost recognition status.

“We are a customer focused business committed to providing the very best travelling experience possible.” said CalMac’s director of HR, Christine Roberts.

“The principles our staff have learned through WorldHost will help us keep up the high standards we set ourselves and make sure every journey with CalMac is memorable for all the right reasons.”

“The Service Across Cultures module was particularly relevant for our staff given the number of overseas victors who use our vessels to explore the west coast.

“The best marketing tool in the world is word of mouth recommendations. By providing a first class service to passengers wherever they’re from, they are far more likely to return and tell their friends and family.

“We are far more than a ferry company we are a vital service in developing the west coast tourism industry and this recognition will help strengthen the west coast’s offering as a must visit destination.”

The WorldHost plaques will now be rolled out and displayed prominently in ports and on board vessels across the CalMac network.