VisitColchester Information Centre wins award!
VisitColchester Information Centre wins award!
THE COLCHESTER tourism team celebrated earlier this year after winning the regional Tourist Information Centre of the Year Award. The 'Enjoy England Awards for Excellence' are recognised as the 'Oscars' for the tourism industry. The awards cover accommodation, attractions, regional foods and websites as well as Tourist Information Centres.Derek Langslow, Chairman East England Tourism, which organises the awards, said: "These awards recognise the excellent standards being achieved within the tourism industry throughout the region. There are some excellent examples of high quality and excellent customer service, as well as best practice in welcoming visitors with disabilities, promoting local products and looking after the environment."
The VisitColchester Information Centre is based in Queen Street and welcomes more than 100,000 visitors a year. It also serves a further 100,000 visitors through its three official tourism websites: including last year's award-winning site: www.visitcolchester.com
The Centre underwent extensive refurbishment during 2005 to meet growing demand for tourism services. It is now accessible to wheelchair and pushchair users and the shop has been refitted to display information more effectively inside.
"For many years customers gave feedback about the centre which reflected the need for more investment" said Visitor Services Officer, Claire Taylor. This project enabled us to take a completely fresh view of what the centre could be offering and how we should be providing information both before people arrive and while they are here."
The extension if the Centre next-door into the former 'Rodneys' hairdressers has enabled a long-held ambition to be realised. The Centre is now able to offer products from Wilkins 'Tiptree' Jams as well as artworks by local artists. "We know that visitors like to buy locally made products as souvenirs and gifts from their visit" said Jill Wicks, Visitor Information Assistant. "Colchester is rich in artistic talent and the bigger centre allows us to marry those together for the first time under the banner of the Colchester Collection," she added.
Commenting on the award, Councillor Kevin Bentley, the Council's Portfolio Holder for Culture & Public Relations, said, "This award is a significant step towards making Colchester an even more significant visitor destination in the region. It is good to see service improvements being rewarded and I send my congratulations to the Council's tourism team."
But it's not just for visitors! Studies show that 45% of the centre's customers are local people seeking ideas for things to do and places to visit, especially over the school holidays and for visiting friends and relatives. The team at the Centre also runs the www.colchesterwhatson.co.uk website which is particularly aimed at local people. Local people also use the Centre to help plan short breaks and trips elsewhere in Britain.
In fact it was a triple whammy for local tourism as Colchester Zoo won the Website of the Year and Gladwins Farm at Nayland was awarded self-catering of the year.
Councillor Bentley added: "There are few destinations, especially in the East of England Region, which have had such sustained tourism growth over the past decade. In addition, the area has enormous tourism potential: Firstsite, the new Community Stadium, a new Roman Circus attraction and the wider St Botolph's regeneration all demonstrate our ambition and intention to sustain and grow visitor activity, to retain our current visitor base and capitalise on the Colchester area's potential, especially in relation to the 2012 Games and I am confident that this award-winning team will provide an excellent welcome to the anticipated 500,000 additional visitors a year that these developments will bring." ENDS 13 November 2006