Tourist information centre to close as part of nationwide shutdown
VisitScotland has confirmed it is to close tourism information centres – including Lerwick – over the next two years.
The organisation said the shutdown was in recognition of the “significant changes” in the way people plan their holidays, with most now using online resources to research their trips.
VisitScotland made the bold claim that the closure was part of a strategy to “grow the visitor economy” by influencing tourists in the planning stage of their trip, before they leave home.
It will invest its resources in a digital-first strategy, which it says will help drive the visitor economy by reaching more people.
All VisitScotland information centres – known as iCentres – will operate as usual until the end of September as part of phased two-year closure programme.
VisitScotland is currently engaging with stakeholders to discuss local arrangements.
Dawn Whaley
As a recent tourist to both Shetland and Scotland, I am disappointed to hear of this plan. Yes, the trip planning was mostly done online, but the Tourist Centres were often the first place we visited in each new town. These are where the best information is ask in one place and you can actuality speak to people who live in the area and who love to share their hometown with visitors. We spentc10 days in Shetland and visited the Lerwick TI at least 4 times.
P Sharp
Totally agree. Very shortsighted. Most people have insufficient data to download large files from overseas for maps, etc. They want something tangible, to speak to a local, to know points of interest that a website (local knowledge) just cannot provide.
Used the centre’s in Shetland, Skye, Fort William, etc – all staffed by lovely, warm, considerate staff that were our first impressions of what Scotland and each individual place had to offer. It seems that the ‘powers that be’ are only concerned with anyone under 30 these days, when in fact the vast majority of aged travelers spend money and use the facilities that the under 30’s cannot or will not.
Wendy Graham
I’m quite shocked to read that Visit Scotland intend to close the tourist office. I’ve visited Shetland several times over the last few years and, whilst I have booked accommodation online, the TIC has been invaluable as a source of ‘up to the minute’ information on what’s happening in the islands. It also has a terrific supply of guide books and written information on the area. Not everyone uses or is comfortable with accessing everything via a tablet or smart phone.
Roger Flynn
The ‘decision’ to close the Tourist Office is just plain daft. I spent endless, enjoyable, hours planning my journey to Shetland, on-line. I live on an off shore Island too, and journeyed many hours to Lerwick from the Isle of Wight. Last July I enjoyed the hospitality that I had hoped for and was delivered. Getting off the Northlink ferry my first port of call ashore was the superb local Tourism Office. Friendly, helpful, and full of useful local knowledge. Please don’t let this closure go ahead. A ‘tourist tax’ on visiting cruise ships might work. They would gladly pay. I would.
Helen Turner
Asking for a friend – when ‘on-line’ goes ‘off-line’ what happens to this grand, financially driven idea? Despite what some communication organisations claim, the internet is not renowned for it’s reliability!
Mrs. Sandra Brooks
Very short-sighted I would have thought that it was essential in somewhere like Shetland. I always visit when I am in Shetland on holiday visiting my family.
Tizzie James
Such a shame. The internet is great when you know what you want to know. But when you’ve got an ambiguous question like “What’s the best way to spend the afternoon while we’re waiting for the ferry?” or “Is there anywhere nice nearby for a coffee?” then human beings are so much more helpful. I’ve visited Shetland countless times but there’s still always something new to find out in the Visitor Centre.
John Harwood
I was very disappointed to learn that Visit Scotland is planning to close all its tourist information centre over the next two years. I feel that this is a retrogressive step. Over the last forty years or so, my wife and I have visited Scotland, including Orkney and Shetland, at least two or three times a year and have found tourist information centres invaluable. They are not just places to book accommodation etc. They are staffed by knowledgeable local people who can offer advice that is not always available online. In addition to maps and booklets, they also have leaflets about local events or local places to visit, which would be difficult to source online unless you had prior knowledge of them. They also sell booklets, maps and locally made items, which can tempt the visitor. I hope Visit Scotland has a serious re-think about this shameful policy.
Cynthia Mackay
I agree 100% with Mr Harwood’s comments. Shame on Scottish Govt.
John Harwood
I was very disappointed to learn that Visit Scotland is planning to close all its tourist information centre over the next two years. I feel that this is a retrogressive step. Over the last forty years or so, my wife and I have visited Scotland, including Orkney and Shetland, at least two or three times a year and have found tourist information centres invaluable. They are not just places to book accommodation etc. They are staffed by knowledgeable local people who can offer advice that is not always available online. In addition to maps and booklets, they also have leaflets about local events or local places to visit, which would be difficult to source online unless you had prior knowledge of them. They also sell booklets, maps and locally made items, which can tempt the visitor.
Gareth Wood
During my first to Shetland three years ago, the Tourist Information Centre was such a godsend. I wasn’t familiar with life in the islands, how the ferries worked, or where the best wildlide sites were. The staff were wonderful – warm, professional, and knowledgeable. I do hope they reverse the decision to close the Centre.
Sarah Andreoli
My daughter and I had a wonderful holiday in the Shetlands last autumn. For the first week of our stay we chose to explore the Mainland by bus before visiting a couple of the other islands with the aid of a hire car. We managed to cover considerable distances and see a great deal but this would have been impossible without the expert and very friendly help of the staff in the Lerwick office. They enabled us to find the right buses and navigate the ferry timetables to get us to our various destinations. Without their knowledge and professionalism we simply would not have had such a rich experience of the islands.
We didn’t want to book everything online before we arrived as we were keen to see for ourselves what was available and what was recommended before committing ourselves. The Lerwick tourist information office was quite simply what gave us the possibility of doing this.
I contacted Visit Scotland to tell them this but and a very disappointing and general reply about the new policy of closing tourist offices but with no reference to the Lerwick office