Dorset Council will propose to stop funding its last three Tourist Information Centres (TICs), which include Dorchester, Sherborne and Wareham.

It currently runs these TICs but is investigating alternative ways of providing these services in the future.

Dorset Council says it cannot afford to fund TICs. There are five other TICs in Bridport, Blandford, Shaftesbury, Swanage and Wimborne which are run by other organisations, such as town and parish councils.

Some areas no longer have a TIC at all, such as Lyme Regis and Weymouth. Dorset Council says evidence shows that it is mostly local people who visit the TIC.

The three TICs in Dorchester, Sherborne and Wareham that remain funded by the council cost around £200,000 each year to operate and employ 12 part-time workers. Around 30 million people visit Dorset annually, with approximately 93,000 people visiting one of the three TICs during 2019/20.

In a report being taken to the place and resources overview committee on Thursday, February 25, members will hear how the council proposes to continue to support the Visit Dorset website, work with local organisations to find solutions and consider one-off funding to reduce the impact of potential closures on local people.

A recent consultation showed that there is a strong support for TICs and the service offered to both residents and visitors.

Of almost 1,000 respondents, 85 per cent were from Dorset and 11 per cent were visitors and 82 per cent who completed the consultation stated they use a TIC, with nearly 40 per cent visiting over five times a year. The top three purposes for using a TIC are to find out information about the local area, buy tickets for a local event or festival and/or buy retail goods.

The proposal is to continue to work with the three town councils to agree what alternative arrangements can be put in place. However, this is not about replicating the current TIC service offer as councils and other organisations may want to develop their own local offering.

Councillor Jill Haynes, Dorset Council's portfolio holder for customer and community services, said: "It's always a difficult decision to reduce services we have historically provided, especially in the current climate and when jobs are potentially put at risk.

"However, our financial situation leaves us little choice but to review the provision of all services we're not legally required to deliver.

"We cannot afford to fund tourism support activity at a local level across communities in Dorset.

"The council's role is to promote Dorset as a destination, so we will continue to develop the Visit Dorset brand to support the visitor economy and promote sustainable tourism as part of our economic growth strategy.

"The consultation has demonstrated that TIC services are still considered to be important by local people, visitors and businesses. It's important that Dorset Council investigates all potential options for how these services could be provided in the future."

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