Scotland’s national tourism body is pulling out of Dundee as its information hub at the V&A is “no longer cost effective”.
The VisitScotland information centre will no longer operate after the organisation decided not to renew their licence agreement.
The hub moved from City Square to its current location in 2021, a move which at the time was described as an effort to reach more people.
But financial pressures facing VisitScotland, formally the Scottish Tourist Board, as well as the number of people using the service means the desk will now be shuttered.
It’s believed the Dundee information hub is the only one in Scotland earmarked for closure.
In an email to staff, Caroline Warburton, destination development director at VisitScotland, wrote: “We have been operating our Dundee iCentre from the V&A Dundee for the last two years.
“With our licence agreement up for renewal, we reviewed the operation of the iCentre in terms of running costs, footfall and our impact on the local visitor economy.
“On the basis of these factors, we have taken the difficult decision to close the iCentre information desk.”
Closure ‘not a reflection of Dundee’
The decision, Ms Warburton said, was not a “reflection of tourism in Dundee” or VisitScotland’s “commitment to the city’s continuing success”.
She added the body “will continue to help put Dundee on the map” going forward.
However the decision to the close the centre has been met with ire from local politicians, with Michael Marra – Labour MSP for the north east region – accusing the tourist board of “giving up”.
He said: “It is unacceptable that VisitScotland are choosing to close their information desk at the V&A.
“The V&A attracts visitors from across the globe to Dundee. It is the key hub for the tourist economy in a city that is rich with history, culture and offers a stunning base for exploration into Fife, the Angus Glens and Perthshire.
“There should be an opportunity for people to learn more about Dundee and the surrounding area’s exceptional tourist offering.
“If Visit Scotland are concerned that the service is not busy enough, like any other organisation they should look to how they can increase footfall rather than simply giving up.”
Tory MSP Maurice Golden added: “Of course, it would have to be Dundee which gets the axe first.
“I appreciate there’s reasons given about the impact the information centre has had. But VisitScotland shouldn’t be pulling out of Dundee.
“This should be an opportunity to refocus, to reinvest and get a better result for the tourist economy.”
Centre ‘no longer cost effective’
A spokesperson for VisitScotland said: “We’ve taken the difficult decision to close our iCentre in Dundee as our current licence agreement has come to an end.
“Like other public sector organisations, it is important that we regularly review our operations to ensure the best use of the funds we have available and to maximise our contribution to tourism across the country.
“With the current challenging economic climate and having taken into consideration the running costs, it is no longer cost effective for this iCentre to remain open.
“VisitScotland remains committed to supporting tourism and the tourism sector in Dundee and across the region and we will continue to do so as we work with tourism businesses and organisations in the city to drive visits and encourage visitor spending across the city and across the year.”
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