ON LAST Sunday’s BBC’s Politics Show the future of Tourist Information Centres was discussed including the future of the Dorchester office.

Having recently retired from working at the Dorchester TIC I cannot let the remarks made by Cllr Ian Bruce to go unchallenged. He stated that the cost of running the centre to the people of Dorchester to be over £200,000.

This is incorrect. It is considerably less. More to the point however, is how much money the centre actually helps generate, in invisible earnings.

The centre currently deals with a staggering number of approximately 176,000 people passing through their doors each year. Add to that the number of telephone and email enquiries they receive and the numbers become even more impressive.

The benefits of the centre for all are rich with almost half of its visitors being local. Firstly, by just its very presence it creates a huge footfall to the area encouraging people to visit other businesses in the town. On the TV programme Mr Bruce also said that they provide the same service as the Dorchester TIC to the residents of Weymouth and Portland for nothing.

How can unmanned information points possibly take the place of an office staffed by an extremely dedicated, knowledgeable, professional team delivering a much valued service to both locals and tourists?

The demise of the Weymouth TIC has in my opinion been a very sad loss.

Not only has it denied visitors and locals of a much needed service it has also had a negative effect on the town. Numerous times a day the Dorchester TIC is dealing with Weymouth enquiries both in the office and on the telephone.

Weymouth’s loss is often Dorchester’s gain to both visitors and tourists. To see the role of a TIC as just a place to be able to pick up leaflets is naive in extreme.

The words “Tourist Information Centre” only just begin to tell of the service that they provide.

It is no surprise that an estimated 17% of the county’s workforce is involved in tourism.

If you add to that the number indirectly involved the number becomes a lot higher.

Oliver Letwin recently wrote in the Echo of his belief that with the increase and importance of tourism in our area the need to develop a coherent marketing plan to maximise its opportunities.

I strongly believe that well run information centres should be part of that strategy.

If the powers that be were unable to see that in Weymouth then please let the powers in Dorchester see the need before it is too late.

Dorchester TIC has evolved over the years providing an extremely effective service that is enjoyed by many thousands and deservedly receiving many prestigious rewards. If that service is now diluted or taken away it is very unlikely to ever return.

There is much to be lost.

John Sissons Address supplied