Fleetwood is best tourist information centre for 2008/09

16th September 2008

AFTER a traumatic time for the resort, losing its pier to a fire, some better news for Fleetwood this week.

The town’s tourist information centre has become Lancashire’s Tourist Information Centre of the Year for 2008/09. Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board’s chair, Lesley Lloyd, will present a trophy and certificate to Councillor Peter Hawley, portfolio holder for living economy at Wyre Borough Council, as managers of the centre, on Wednesday September 17.

Fleetwood, along with Lancashire’s 14 other networked tourist information centres, was assessed through an annual mystery shopping exercise during July and August on behalf of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). It involved all the region’s recognised tourist information centres.

The assessment included answering an email request and a telephone call, with marks also achieved for the appearance of the centre and how staff interact with their customers, given following a personal visit.

Fleetwood achieved 100 per cent in every category and slightly under the maximum score for the way it handled the email request. Staff at the centre narrowly beat their colleagues from neighbouring Cleveleys Tourist Information Centre who were placed second in the Lancashire assessment.

Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board uses the assessment scores to decide who wins its Tourist Information Centre of the Year Award as part of its annual Lancashire and Blackpool Tourism Awards.

By winning the Lancashire award, Fleetwood Tourist Information Centre now goes through to represent the county at the England’s Northwest Tourism Awards on October 22 to be held at St George’s Hall in Liverpool. Fleetwood will be competing against St Helens, Congleton, Manchester Town Hall and Keswick.