ALTON'S Tourist Information Centre is to be replaced by a reduced service. As from May 10 the TIC office in Cross and Pillory Lane will be closed and a Tourist Information Point (TIP) amalgamated with East Hampshire District Council's Presence Office. A second TIP will be at Alton Community Centre which will also take over the booking of coach and bus services. East Hampshire District Council's axeing of Alton's TIC is the result of a rationalisation exercise which should see a network of TIPs designed to improve access to information about what there is to see and do and where to stay. Petersfield TIC is to act as a hub, managed on behalf of EHDC by Tourism South East, which will deal with complicated enquiries and disperse up- to-date information to the TIP network. But in Alton this will result in a scaled down service with local data only – information about other parts of the country, promotion of charity Christmas cards and local produce, will all go in a move which has already resulted in job losses. The change in service delivery is expected to result in a cost-saving for EHDC of £30,000. While viewed by Alton Chamber of Commerce and Industry as "yet another indication of Alton being treated as the poor relation to Petersfield", the move could result in a win-win situation for Alton Community Centre. EHDC economic development officer Debbie Vodden believes the siting of two TIPs in Alton is a good move. "They are likely to attract a different set of customers – the two organisations work well together," said Mrs Vodden, who feels that the two TIPs will complement each other. Alton Community Centre manager Maria Elliott said the centre is looking forward to hosting a TIP carousel and to acting as the agent for Stagecoach bus tickets and National Express coaches. The National Express business launches on June 1 with a competition in The Herald to win two pairs of tickets to anywhere in the UK on the National Express coach network. The Stagecoach bus ticket service should be in operation from Monday, with the Community Centre agency to include the issuing of school bus tickets. The Alton Craft Centre in the Market Square is to become the access point for the Guided Town Walks service.
