'No business case' for tourist info centre, traders told

At a 'meet the officers' session with Bexhill's Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, Rother director of services Tony Leonard said funding had been reduced for TIC provision in Bexhill due to low commission and a national trend towards internet booking.

He was speaking during a question and answer session at the Mermaid, De La Warr Parade, with Rother director of resources Joy Cooper and chief executive Derek Stevens.

But Mr Stevens revealed, having listened to the chamber's arguments, there may be a case for re-examining the need for tourist information facilities.

Sue Spice, for the chamber, said: "You have left Battle and Rye with a TIC but Bexhill doesn't have one anymore. We feel victimised over that. Why Bexhill?"

Mr Leonard said councillors had decided to cut funding to instead invest in growing internet technology and no business came forward to take on the grant of 30,000 for running the TIC.

He said: "The case was there was insufficient business being done through the TIC to warrant its continuation and insufficient interest in running the TIC.

"Since the TIC has closed the council has only seen, I think, one or two complaints in terms of someone who came to the town and felt they couldn't get a service. Battle TIC have dealt with all telephone enquiries and enquiries coming through the door to a standard that meets Tourism South East standards.

"There is no business case for a TIC in Bexhill at this moment in time."

Mr Leonard said the Battle TIC had nearly doubled commission on accommodation compared to the old Bexhill service.

He also said occupancy rates were up throughout the town.

But chamber president David Getty said a TIC's function was not just to make money for itself.

He said: "It was a service for the accommodation providers in Bexhill not a business intended to make profit from its specific service. It benefited accommodation providers in the town."

Mr Leonard said the argument could be made that a new TIC for Bexhill would now make even more money than Battle after the re-opening of the De La Warr Pavilion, but "would have to be looked at."

Chamber members also said despite the De La Warr Pavilion providing information packs for tourists, they needed to be put on display and better signage was required to direct visitors where to go.

Some also made renewed calls for a TIC on the pavilion site.

Malcolm Mitcheson said: "One would have thought it made sense they (the pavilion) give us one room for our TIC.

"Battle Abbey does it for Battle and the same thing happens in Rye. We pay 500,000 a year and don't get any TIC in it. Have we missed a trick here?"