Tourist Information Service Review Consultation

Why we are reviewing the service?

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way some services are being used and delivered. More people are looking to find further local information and advice about their area as well as visitors to Dorset looking for tourist information. TICs are a traditional way of providing face to face service, but their use has dropped with developments in technology in recent years. Dorset Council sees the increasingly popular Visit Dorset website as an important access channel for visitors and tourism businesses. It’s also a way to encourage people both in the UK and abroad to visit the area and support the local economy. Dorset Council is facing on-going financial challenges and must prioritise the services on which it spends its money. In the near future, we’re likely to review of many of the services such as TICs we are not legally obliged to provide. For these reasons, we need to consider the role of visitor information, and how it is funded and delivered. It is essential that future arrangements are sustainable, affordable and fit for the future and continuing to provide the service in the same way will not do this. There are various ways of providing this service to meet the needs of different communities and we want to tailor our service accordingly.

The Consultation
The consultation period runs from 19 October 2020 to 3 January 2021 The survey will take approximately 5 - 10 minutes to complete. Your views are important to better understand how you use the TICs and the value of this service. The results of this survey will be considered before any final decisions about TICs are taken. It is expected that the council’s Cabinet will be making a decision during 2021.