Tourist Information Centre of the Year

3 October 2008

TIC Going for Tops

Chesterfield Tourist Information Centre has entered the TIC of the Year competition again and, what's more, they've been shortlisted for the regional award again.

The TIC gained the gold award for the East Midlands in 2005 and went on to win at national level, took the regional silver last year but has to wait till October this year to find out if they've scooped another award.

The TIC had to give examples of every way that they assisted with each stage of the customer journey, from making a decision to go on a trip to returning home and remembering the visit. This included producing information leaflets such as the Chesterfield Mini Guide, offering online reservations for places to stay, working in partnership, promoting local transport, describing how the staff met and exceeded customer expectations, proving that both the building and services were accessible to all and showing how the Centre cares for the environment and local community, and how it helps the local economy.

"The judges wanted a lot of detail on how we help visitors to make the most of their experience," said Tourism & Town Centre Promotions Manager Bernadette Wainwright, "But we think we've ticked most of the boxes and are keeping our fingers crossed for October."

Staff at the Centre are committed to helping people, something noticed by local MP Paul Holmes when he was invited to visit the Tourist Information Centre to launch the Map For All. A new concept in map design, it uses Braille, raised text, bright colours and symbols to make it more accessible to people who are partially sighted or have trouble with print, as well as young children and families.
Watch this space for the result in October!