Asheboro, NC – TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site, recently awarded Richland Creek ZipLine & Canopy Tour a 2014 Certificate of Excellence. Now in its fourth year, the award celebrates hospitality excellence and is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor. Establishments awarded the Certificate of Excellence are located all over the world and represent the upper echelon of businesses listed on the website. Winners of the prestigious award include accommodations, eateries and attractions of all sizes. 

"It is truly an honor to be recognized for exceptional hospitality, and no surprise that Richland Creek is an award winner for consistent excellence," said Tammy O’Kelley, Director of Tourism for the Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau. "This is what the Hammer family envisioned for this attraction all along, and I know Buddy would be proud of the hospitality standard that his family and employees have set.” 

Hammer, who passed away last year, started Richland Creek ZipLine with his wife, JoAnn in 2008. Since its opening it has grown from four part-time employees to a mix of ten part- and full-time employees. 

When selecting Certificate of Excellence winners, TripAdvisor uses a proprietary algorithm to determine the honorees that takes into account reviews ratings. Businesses must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five. Volume and numbers of recent of reviews, as well as a business' tenure and popularity ranking are also factored into the algorithm. 

“We are extremely proud of this award from TripAdvisor and view this as a direct result of our long term vision for Richland Creek ZipLine. Our zip liners venture from local cities such as Raleigh and Charlotte to the surrounding states of Virginia and South Carolina; and, according to our online reviews, from all over the nation. Everyone is excited to share their unique, high-quality experience with other ‘thrill seekers’ on social media outlets such as TripAdvisor, and they return to our attraction because of the fun hospitality our staff provides each individual rider,” said JoAnn Hammer, owner of Richland Creek ZipLine. 

Winning properties can showcase their success a number of ways, including displaying the Certificate of Excellence at their establishment and displaying the award on their website.

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TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching nearly 260 million unique monthly visitors, and more than 150 million reviews and opinions covering more than 4 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 39 countries worldwide. 

The Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing organization for Randolph County Tourism Development Authority, representing Archdale, Asheboro, Franklinville, Liberty, Ramseur, Randleman, Seagrove, Staley, and Trinity; and operates solely on occupancy taxes generated by overnight guests in Randolph County. For additional information, call (336) 626-0364 or go to HeartofNorthCarolina.com.