Although VisitScotland have decided to concentrate their efforts on online activity rather than visitor centres, they will keep the Edinburgh Princes Street travel hub open.
The high profile centre placed right in the city centre attracts around 371,000 visitors each year and VisitScotland will invest in the hub over the next five years.
There are some 140 VisitScotland Information Partners who will all support the hub, such as Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, John Muir’s Birthplace and Arnold Clark at Edinburgh Airport.
The iCentre at Edinburgh Airport has had a declining footfall in the last 10 years and it will close by the end of 2019.
Instead the tourism body will spend around £10million in digital activity and enhanced information services for visitors. There are also 26 high impact regional travel hubs which will remain open where there is highest demand.
Apart from those there are about 1500 information parties across the country to ensure that there is an information touchpoint in every corner of Scotland.
The emphasis will now be on digital communications, particularly through smartphones and tablets which so many tourists rely on.
Manuela Calchini, Regional Partnerships Director for VisitScotland, said: “The way visitors access information has changed significantly over the past decade. It’s time to switch our focus and investment into new and diverse initiatives to ensure we are reaching as many visitors to Edinburgh and the Lothians as possible with the information they want, in the way they want it, when they want it.
“With three in four adults now owning a smartphone, a key focus is ensuring our digital communications provide succinct inspirational and informational advice to visitors at every stage of their journey. However, we know that speaking to locals is also important to our visitors and with our Edinburgh iCentre, over 140 Information Partners and team of outreach staff travelling around the region, it means that there is always advice on what to see and do and where to go wherever people are.
“The information revolution is upon us and we look forward to telling more and more visitors all about Edinburgh and the Lothians across all our different channels for many years to come.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
