Closing Liverpool’s Tourist Information Centre as part of swingeing cuts would be a “massive loss” to the visitor economy according to industry professionals.
In a matter of weeks, Liverpool Council needs to find £73m to fill its financial blackhole ahead of the next financial year. As part of the process, a number of savings have been identified including cuts to the city’s culture and visitor economy budget.
Now, traders within the tourism sector fear it could spell an end for the city’s Tourist Information Centre within Liverpool ONE with the possible loss of jobs. Members of the city council were sent an email on behalf of Liverpool Link Organisation - representing the city’s tourism industry - calling for any closure to be averted.
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The email, seen by the ECHO, said: “We at Liverpool Link are all extremely concerned that Liverpool, a city that relies heavily on tourism for both business revenue and employment is not committed to ensuring that our visitors, who come from around the world, are able to source reliable and trustworthy information from highly professional and friendly staff, something which is commonplace in many worldwide tourist destinations. Visitors to Liverpool and Liverpool residents don’t always want to and, in some cases, can’t use apps.
“You can’t replace a helpful, friendly, personal interactive ‘Liverpudlian/Scouse Welcome’ and years of Liverpool knowledge with an app.” Addressing a meeting of the council’s finance and resources select committee, Theresa Grant, interim chief executive, said talks were ongoing over the site’s future but money would play a part.
She said: “We’re looking at options around that. We’re keen to keep the facility open and looking at a compromise to bring costs down dramatically for us, we’re still in discussions over that.”
Tour guides across the city have expressed their concern for their businesses should the council close to shut the service down. Charlotte Martin, who owns and runs Livertours Liverpool, said: “As a tour guide, I think it’s really sad.
“We can’t lose it, it’s a hub for visitors coming into Liverpool and not everyone has access to an app. When people come into the city, they are greeted by welcoming, friendly staff.
“It’s one of the best ways to be welcomed into Liverpool. It’s really sad, this needs to be stopped.”
Sarah Wilson has run Liverpool Verve for almost three years and said she hoped the council would find a future for the centre on Wall Street. She said: “We’ve been here since 2020 and the team at the TIC has provided us with so many links.
“The whole tourism industry is massive to us. It’s not just giving leaflets out, it’s the contacts as well.
“To see a friendly face and someone telling you what's on offer, they’re able to get a read on people and recommend what you want. Every city in the world has a tourism information centre, it would be a massive loss for us as a business.”
A Liverpool Council spokesperson said: “We have to save £73 million for the year 2023/24 and this means we will have to make difficult decisions. The Tourist information Centre has been operating at a deficit.
“However, we are exploring options relating to the costs, which may involve working with partners, and no final decision has yet been made.”
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