New spring look for tourist information centre
Winchester’s award winning tourist information centre, which each year welcomes 200,000 visitors from all corners of the globe, will be undergoing a major refurbishment from Monday 20 April.
The four week project will lead to improvements based on customer feedback, including the way the centre displays free information for visitors; the availability of locally produced souvenirs, and a dedicated ‘backstage’ area for dealing with the ever-increasing number of email enquiries received during the summer months.
During the refurbishment a more limited tourist information service will operate in the Courtyard Café on the ground floor of Winchester Guildhall. Customers can use either the main steps of the Guildhall to access the café or alternatively the café’s front entrance, which can be reached via Colebrook Street.
Alison Woods, Winchester City Council’s Tourist Information Centre Manager, said, "I would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers during this period, but I’m sure the newly refurbished centre will be well worth the wait. We have taken on board comments from both visitors and local residents in the design of the new centre, which will be open in time for the May half term holiday, the beginning of our peak holiday season."
Winchester City Council’s Leader with Portfolio for Economy and Tourism, Cllr George Beckett, added, "This investment demonstrates once again the City Council’s continuing commitment to supporting a high quality tourism industry in the Winchester District. The value of tourism spend to local businesses is already worth nearly £230 million per annum, supporting over 3,000 jobs, and we are taking every step we can to ensure that this sector makes the most of the reviving interest in UK holidays triggered by the current exchange rate advantages."
The temporary information centre will be open from 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and can be contacted on tel 01962 840 500, e-mail tourism@winchester.gov.uk or via the website at www.visitwinchester.co.uk