Tourist board in move to open new visitor centre
SCOTLAND’S tourist board is seeking planning permission to take over a shop in Glasgow for its visitor information centre.
VisitScotland lodged its plans to move back to Buchanan Street with Glasgow City Council this week.
The Evening Times previously reported in October that the tourist board was planning to relocate from its Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) home to a new city centre location in a £200,000 move.
The plans lodged ask for a change of use for the building on Buchanan Street from retail unit to visitor information centre. VisitScotland has also asked to make alterations to the existing shop front.
The organisation also wants to make internal alterations to the shop unit.
The new location for the visitor information centre is close to Buchanan Subway Station.
The plans come after tourist facility caused controversy last July when it moved from Buchanan Street to the museum because of its lack of accessiblity.
The original VisitScotland hub on Buchanan Street was forced to move due to the expansion of Buchanan Galleries.
At the time, Councillor Nina Baker said of the move to GoMA: “Although technically accessible, it is totally out of sight and for tourists I would think visibility and ease of access is vital. What other world class city, as we aspire to be, would do this?” Now, just one year on, bosses said the tourist information facility, which has been dubbed an iCentre, will move at a cost of £200,000. The plans submitted will be decided on January 8, next year, and include drawings of what the new centre will look like.