Great Yarmouth's Golden Mile can now sell itself as offering gold standard customer service after winning internationally-recognised World Host status.

Front-line staff at businesses along the seafront have been undergoing intensive World Host training.

Now enough businesses have trained enough staff for the 'Golden Mile' area of the seafront to be named a World Host Recognised Destination which can be used in its promotion and marketing the individual businesses.

Golden Mile businesses that can now display the World Host badge are Classic Lodge, Deck Chairs, Dixies Café, Hotel Victoria, Merrivale Tearooms, New Beach Hotel, Pleasure Beach, Prom Hotel, Retroskate, Sara's Tearooms, the Chateau B&B, The Dining Room, The Southern Hotel, The Trotwood Guesthouse, Willows Guesthouse, Winchester Hotel, Yesterdays World and the Comfort Hotel.

There will now be a push to make the whole borough of Great Yarmouth a World Host Recognised Destination.

They signed up to the training through The Seasonal Economy Programme run by Great Yarmouth Community Trust with Great Yarmouth College to build a reputation for providing a top-notch welcome to tourists and local visitors and to promote a positive image of excellent customer service for Great Yarmouth.

To become an accredited World Host destination, 25pc of 'Golden Mile' businesses needed to sign up with 50pc of their frontline staff attended the World Host training.

Speaking as Golden Mile business owners gathered to celebrate, Andrew Forrest, CEO of Great Yarmouth Community Trust, said the benefits of becoming a World Host Recognised Destination had big implications for the town.

'We will be promoting a positive sense of pride in our community and businesses and we have made sure that our staff are trained in the art of customer service, creating a culture of excellent service.

'We have created a PR opportunity for our destination and we can put the Golden Mile forward for customer service awards – and we can be confident in our ability to win.'