£150k plan for city's tourism strategy
One tourist information centre will stay open in Lincoln but the council will no longer be involved in marketing the city, it has been announced.
A £150,000 plan to hand over responsibility for the Castle Hill square centre to Lincoln Business Improvement Group has been approved by City of Lincoln Council.
Lincoln BIG will also provide on-street information using street wardens and by utilising the city's new wireless Internet service.
But the council's marketing department will be axed after Lincolnshire Tourism announced that it would not be able to take on the extra work due to expense and red tape.
Instead, the council will simply continue to be a member of Lincolnshire Tourism.
The authority needs to shave £2.5 million off its budget by 2012 and says the moves mean they will still be able to meet the savings needed for the Tourism, Marketing and Arts section of the review.
For the full story see Wednesday's Lincolnshire Echo.
6 Comments
by philip, milton keynes
Wednesday, May 13 2009, 2:42PM
“How stupid are they?Was it local tourism and agriculture which were highlighted in recession investigations as being industries fundamental to recovering from the economic slump. There are villages and little market towns with council run tourism schemes despite having few or no real attractions while Lincoln (denoted as a tourist centre) has a council that can consider spending a few grand on challenging an independent rating of their social services (no benefit to the city) while initially wanting to just scrap any tourism bases. BTW the wireless service is not worth the expense for any user it's shocking.”
by George Cross, Lincoln
Wednesday, May 13 2009, 1:20PM
“I have not seen a Conservative councillor since they took control at city hall.
What an absolute mess they are making of our city.
They don't reflect the needs of the electorate.
All they are interested in is getting their allowances.
The Conservatives are full of empty promises. They have bankrupted this city and we will be left with nothing.”
by Jas, Lincoln
Wednesday, May 13 2009, 9:43AM
“The city is going nowhere regarding tourism and visitors and we still don't know what will happen to Lincoln BIG.
If City Council does not support it and withdrawing their grant, there is no guarantee what will happen next.
City Council expect BIG to get suuport from the businesses in Lincoln, especially paying their contributions to keep it going.
But small businesses are struggling to survive due to the financial crisis.
Closing down the TIC in the Cornhill and the closure of the Information Centre sited in the railway station can only spell out disaster for tourism and visitors for the city of Lincoln.
Expect Lincoln to become a backwater - most certaily will!”
by Ian Bower, Lincoln
Wednesday, May 13 2009, 7:45AM
“When I moved to Lincoln (two years ago) I felt that the City of Lincoln Council really did care for the city.
Now I feel they have all but abandoned it.
Shame on them for the list of appalling recent decisions.”
by Ian Keen, Lincoln
Wednesday, May 13 2009, 7:23AM
“Why not hand over the keys to city hall whilst they are at it?
Lincoln BIG could hardly do a worse job than the Conservatives have done this past two years.
We never see a tory councillor, are they all afraid to show their faces?”
by John Green, Lincoln
Wednesday, May 13 2009, 7:17AM
“What a bunch of pathetic Tory clowns we have in city hall. Their incompetence is staggering.
Lincoln is now a tourist no go area.”