Rother cabinet gets heated over tourism

Battle tourist information centre is directing only half the number of people to local accommodation that it did in 2004-2005, due, leader Cllr Carl Maynard told Monday's Rother cabinet meeting, to the advent of online booking.

The effect is being compounded by the credit crunch. Predictions show that accommodation provided through a Bexhill TIC could also expect to be halved.

Two fiery debates illustrated the dilemma the district council faces.

In the first, members accepted a recommendation from director of services Tony Leonard to seek tenders for the running of Battle Tourist Information Centre.

The authority is offering a three-year deal and offering 30,000 a year.

A similar offer produced no takers at Bexhill and the town has since been without a TIC of its own, with Bexhill inquiries being handled by Battle.

English Heritage has been operating Battle TIC under a three-year contract which expires next March.

In the second debate, cabinet voted in favour of deferring a decision on Bexhill's Town Guide until after a meeting this Thursday between officers, the De La Warr Pavilion Trust, Bexhill Chamber of Commerce and Tourism and the town's accommodation providers.

Both debates produced criticism of the way Battle TIC is being operated.

Bexhill member Cllr Deirdre Williams alleged the phone calls sometimes went unanswered.

"Sometimes the staff are less than helpful, which is a shame."

Fellow Bexhill member Cllr Paul Lendon said: "I have been out there a few times. I don't think we are getting a fair deal for Bexhill."

He alleged that when he had made test inquiries, he had been directed to accommodation in Hastings, not Bexhill..

Bexhill member Cllr Stuart Wood said there was an unacceptably long delay in the TIC responding to answer phone messages.

As a result of not having its own TIC, Bexhill was missing out on offers such as 10 rail travel to London, he said.

Salehurst member Cllr Sue Prochak called for monitoring of the TIC.

Head of regeneration Graham Burgess said there were monitoring meetings with its managers.

The leader said Rye TIC produced 1,320 bookings in 2004-2005 but only 692 last year; Battle 180 as against 74.

At this rate, a Bexhill TIC would have produced 86.

This was not value for money.

"We have to move with the times'¦" he said.

Cllr Lendon asked: "How much does Hastings contribute to Battle TIC?"

He said he had been to the TIC three times and each time he had been directed to accommodation in Hastings.

Cllr Wood said: "To my knowledge, I don't think Hastings pay any money into Battle."

The director of services said TICs were in decline across the country as more people made enquiries and booked online.

"We are seeing a significant reduction of 50% in enquiries through TICs across the country - and Battle and Bexhill started at a very low base to begin with."

He warned members that they might find no takers when they sought tenders for the Battle TIC contract - just as they had at Bexhill.

Cllr Williams said: "I am sorry, but the idea that Battle TIC serves Bexhill is silly. The only way you are going to get some service for Bexhill is to have a Bexhill member out there because Battle staff no nothing about Bexhill."

Cllr Wood said there were over 800 TICs in the UK. Even the smallest places had them.

"Don't let us say it's a dying thing. It is not. Go across Europe and there are TICs - manned by PEOPLE - where you can ask questions. It is still a major business throughout the world."

The leader countered: "No one is saying that tourism is not business. But bookings from TICs are declining.

"We are doing all we can to help the tourism industry help itself. What we should not do in my opinion is subsidise the tourist industry."

He said Rother needed to go out to tender over the Battle TIC.

It needed to look at innovative ways of helping the tourist industry weather the credit crunch.

Rother came under fire from Bexhill Chamber of Commerce president Ainsley Gill last week over its proposal to replace the Bexhill Town Guide - which Rother supports to the tune of 9,000 - with a single folded sheet.

Councillors had before them a proposal to put two computerised information kiosks in the De La Warr Pavilion, with the option of a proposal to put a single kiosk in the street.

Opening this debate, Cllr Williams said she was "less than impressed" by Rother's computerised Destination Management System, which has yet to produce a single booking for Bexhill.

If a kiosk was placed outdoors it would be vandalised. If it was indoors it would be limited to pavilion opening hours.

She successfully called for debate to be deferred until after the meeting with traders.

Cllr Brian Kentfield said he had undertaken a Google search and been horrified to find not a single Bexhill accommodation-provider listed.

Cllr Lendon said it was a very emotive issue. A lot of people had expressed their concern to him.

Kiosks had some merit. But it had to be recognised that not everyone was computer-literate.

Mr Leonard said that what was being discussed was how to improve the target audience.

"There is no intention of removing funding from the Guide but how best the town is to be promoted."

The leader said what had been said was that Rother wanted the very best means of promoting Bexhill, Battle and Rye.

"The point has to be made that we are 100% behind the tourist industry.

"It has to be seen against the back-drop of value for money for the ratepayers. But we want tourism to succeed. The officers will work fastidiously to give the tourism industry in Rother the best deal."