TOURISM REVAMP AGREED FOR HALL
BID will help secure future of key building
The long-term future of Crieff Town Hall appears to have been secured after an agreement was reached which will see locals take over the day- to- day running of the key town centre building.
Those connected to the Crieff Succeeds Business Improvement District (BID) project are to provide what has been described as “elements” of a tourist information service in the wake of the building being refurbished.
Work to revamp the premises is set to begin in April and, afterwards, the BID representatives will be supported by VisitScotland – which currently operates its information centre from the town hall – as part of the project, following a lengthy negotiation process.
A VisitScotland spokesperson said the ‘ VisitScotland Information Partnership’ - or ‘ VIP’ - scheme is designed to allow people become “ambassadors” for their town or region by providing
information to visitors. The spokesperson continued by saying that discussions were under way with the visitor centre’s current staff, adding that VisitScotland policy dictates there would be no compulsary redundancies.
People will be able to access tourism guidance and advice both online and face-to-face under the move.
Crieff Succeeds BID manager Neil Combe said: “We are delighted to be part of the VIP programme and look forward to welcoming visitors to our beautiful town.
“This exciting partnership between ourselves, VisitScotland and Perth and Kinross Council will secure the long-term future of our historic town hall and allows us to continue to offer an element of local visitor information.”
Jim Clarkson, VisitScotland regional director, said: “Crieff is a bustling town set amidst the stunning Perthshire scenery. It is home to some of the area’s most popular attractions and as such regularly attracts visitors. It is great news that Crieff BID is now part of the VIP programme.”
Jim Valentine, depute chief executive of Perth and Kinross Council, said: “Crieff BID joining the VIP programme demonstrates its commitment to continuing to welcome tourists to the town, and grow what the area has to offer to visitors.”
The VisitScotland spokesperson continued: “The new approach aims to reflect changing visitor trends which show that holidaymakers are increasingly relying on digital and mobile devices for information about the destination they are visiting.”
The moves are part of wider changes being carried out through the tourism agency. These include interactivity on the VisitScotland website and marketing through ‘Coo’ campervans, which will be touring Scotland. Nationally, VisitScotland is rebranding its visitor information centres.