Three tourist info centres to close
Three tourist information centres in Perthshire are to close within the next two years.
Aberfeldy’s information centre is set to shut in March next year, and will be followed by the closure of information centres in both Dunkeld and Blairgowrie by the end of March 2019.
The moves for part of what national tourism agency VisitScotland is calling a “diverse transformation” in the way it operates visitor centres.
VisitScotland says it has seen a 58 per cent drop in footfall at its ‘iCentres’ over the past 12 years, with more and more tourists choosing to find out information online.
The organisation says information will still be there for tourists in the three towns, through arrangements VisitScotland has with visitor attractions, businesses, tourism groups and tourism experts.
But Murdo Fraser, Conservative MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife, condemned the move.
He said the region’s more rural areas don’t always have strong enough mobile and wifi signals to cope with everything being moved to digital.
He said: “This is extremely disappointing for everyone involved in the tourism industry in Perth and Kinross.
“The advent of smartphones has undoubtedly improved the visitor experience but there is still a place for physical tourist information sites, particularly at these three locations.
“With mobile internet access patchy at best across much of rural Perth and Kinross, it’s ambitious to think that tourists will be able to use the internet and access ‘app’ content whilst out and about.
“I would encourage VisitScotland to think again when it comes to closing these sites, as nothing comes close to replacing the insider information offered at these three tourist information centres.”
A spokesperson for VisitScotland said the agency would do everything it could to minimise job losses at the three affected sites.
A representative explained: “The plan is to offer voluntary redundancies, and we will also be offering the chance to learn new skills, and be re-skilled to work in other areas of VisitScotland.
“They can also move to another office, for example, to the nearby Perth iCentre.
“There are opportunities to move if they would like to, and there will be no compulsory redundancies. We are doing everything we can to minimise job losses in the area.”
Meanwhile, the information centres in both Perth and Pitlochry are to become two of VisitScotland’s 26 new “high impact” travel hubs. The two centres combined welcome 85,000 visitors every year.
Jim Clarkson, regional partnerships director at VisitScotland, said: “The way visitors access information has changed significantly over the past decade.
“It’s time to switch our focus and investment into new and diverse initiatives to ensure we are reaching as many visitors to Perthshire as possible with the information they want, in the way they want it, when they want it.
“With three in four adults now owning a smartphone, a key focus is ensuring our digital communications provide succinct inspirational and informational advice to visitors at every stage of their journey.”
Mr Clarkson continued: “However, we know that speaking to locals is also