COUNCIL bosses have signalled their intention to off-load tourist information centres in South Lakeland, sparking dismay in the district’s leisure industry.

Cabinet members at South Lakeland District Council have agreed to the principle of withdrawing from operating the service in Kendal, Windermere and Ulverston from October next year.

Councillors heard that the TICs bring in less revenue to council coffers than in the past due to more visitors choosing to research and pre-book their stays on the Internet.

But Sheila Brindley, a member of the Kendal Tourism Group, which represents the town’s small tourist businesses, said she was ‘appalled’ at the vote and suggested the group would form a ‘working party’ to challenge the decision.

The concern was echoed by Kendal bed and breakfast owners Nigel and Jo Buchanan.

“Around 50 per cent of our guests use the TIC in Kendal and they always comment about how helpful the staff are,” said Mrs Buchanan. “We would like B&Bs across the whole of South Lakeland as well as other businesses that benefit from tourism to write to the council and show how important TICs are.”

SLDC figures showed Windermere TIC’s revenue from bookings had fallen from £46,715 to £23,769 in a decade.

Cabinet members believe that TICs would be better run by businesses within the tourism industry.

“Currently we spend £720,000 a year on TICs – down from £1.2 million when I came into this post, and we want to reduce this to a more acceptable level,” said Coun Graham Vincent, SLDC portfolio holder for economic prosperity and transport. “We take not one penny from this service, business gets all the money.

“We are not the best organisation to deliver this service. Tourism businesses are the right people to make sure that customers get the best service.”

Instead of running the TICs, SLDC chiefs are proposing to offer a grant scheme to help communities and businesses provide high quality face-to-face information for visitors.

Details of the scheme to transfer responsibility for TICs will be finalised at another meeting of the Cabinet in December.