Chesterfield’s revamped Visitor Centre open for business
The doors were opened today (Friday 16th March) on Chesterfield’s new look Visitor Information Centre. The Centre has recently undergone a £40k refurbishment from the Destination Chesterfield project with funding from the European Regional Development Fund.
The Centre was opened by Councillor Peter Barr, Mayor of Chesterfield, MP Toby Perkins and James Berresford, Chief Executive of VisitEngland.
The refurbishment includes a new-look interior that reflects the Destination Chesterfield branding, a dedicated section on “Our Future” which features images of developments coming to the town, and quotes from famous people associated with the town including George Stephenson, Bess of Hardwick, Gordon Banks and Lady Baden-Powell.
Councillor Nick Stringer, Executive Member for Leisure, Culture and Tourism said: “The whole interior is a lot more welcoming and open so people can find information quickly. The use of quotes from famous people inside and outside gives visitors and residents a new connection to the town which hopefully inspires pride and interest in what Chesterfield has to offer.”
Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield said: “I think the refurbishment looks fantastic. The whole Centre makes a great first impression for people visiting the town and will certainly help in our aim to promote Chesterfield as a modern, vibrant and contemporary destination.”
David James, Chief Executive of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, the area’s official tourist board, added: “Chesterfield’s rebranding of its Tourist Information Centre as a Visitor Information Centre, linking in with the work of Destination Chesterfield, illustrates the importance of tourism as a key tool in economic regeneration and the town’s growing role as an eastern gateway to the Peak District.”
The Centre welcomed 155,841 visitors in 2011, an increase of over 12,000 from 2010. The Centre has won the English Tourist Board’s National England for Excellence Awards in 2005 and 2009 and 95% of people interviewed in a customer satisfaction survey last year thought that the service offered was either good or excellent.
Source:Chesterfield Borough Council
