REPRIEVE FOR INFO HUBS?
Future could be safe:
TWO tourist information centres could be reopened just three months after council chiefs closed them.
Centres in Caernarfon, Porthmadog and Barmouth were shut in November by cash-strapped Gwynedd Council.
But now plans are afoot to reopen the Porthmadog and Caernarfon sites, with the council confirming they are in talks with North Wales Tourism (NWT).
Jim Jones, managing director of NWT, said his organisation would foot the bill to run the sites, although it’s not yet clear how much it will cost.
He said: “We’re in talks with Gwynedd Council to look at what we can do with the tourism information centres in Porthmadog and Caernarfon.
“We’re keen to have an information service of some form for visitors.
“We’d hope the centres would be in the same buildings and we’d aim to open them as soon as possible. The centres would be managed by North Wales Tourism in some form of partnership with Gwynedd Council.”
He added: “It’s a foundation of any tourism town to have an information service for visitors.
“Negotiations are still ongoing with the council and nothing has been secured yet.”
Caernarfon councillor Endaf Cooke said relaunching the centre would be “fantastic news” for the town.
He said: “If we haven’t got the tourist information to help us to sell the town, what have we got? Anything that can help towards local growth in businesses, tourism and jobs is welcome news.”
A Gwynedd Council spokesperson said: “The council can confirm that it is in discussions with North Wales Tourism regarding the possible future use of the former TICs in Porthmadog and Caernarfon as Visitor Experience Hubs.
“While we hope this aim can be achieved, any decision to lease the buildings is subject to grant funding applications to other parties by North Wales Tourism. We are continuing to work with partners in the tourism sector and promoting Gwynedd through the website and digital platform www. visitsnowdonia.info, with a new site being developed. We continue in discussions with partners within the sector to ensure visitors can access information from other sources.”