Edinburgh Royal Mile tourist office to reopen under new operator
Alongside providing visitor information and ticket sales for attractions and tours, the new 'Experience Scotland' centre will include a retail element featuring 'Scottish-made products, unlike many existing Royal Mile retailers,' Cobbs Group said.
Councillors agreed a 25-year lease worth £150,000 per year for the unit at 249 High Street on Tuesday, June 24.
After the closures were announced last year, the council considered taking over the running of the tourist office. However, the proposal was scrapped after it emerged it could cost the authority over £500,000 a year at a time when its budget is already under significant pressure.
At a meeting last November where the idea was discussed, Councillor Stuart Dobbin, SNP, said: 'We're not in the tourism business.'
He added: 'There are organisations that cater to tourists and I think we need to listen to expert organisations in that business such as VisitScotland and they're giving up the visitors' centre for a reason - that they can't make it work and that they've got alternative strategies for communicating with visitors.'
A report to councillor this week states: 'Cobbs are an established tourism based retailer which has been in existence for over 30 years. They currently operate four hotels in the Highlands, 12 gift shops in key tourist locations and employ over 500 staff. They have recently taken over two former Visit Scotland premises in Fort William and Aberfoyle.
'The offer will consist of Scottish themed retailing featuring local producers such as Edinburgh Honey Company, Coco Chocolatier, and Red Box tea and coffee.
'The visitor offering will include an interactive area dedicated to providing visitor information and ticket sales for Edinburgh/Scottish attractions and tours. Cobbs have also confirmed that they would be keen to work with tour operators of all sizes to operate a desk within the property, potentially on a rota basis.'
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Cobbs said the centre will offer an 'authentic Scottish experience featuring predominantly Scottish-made products, unlike many existing Royal Mile retailers'.
Councillor Mandy Watt, Finance and Resources Convener, said: "While more and more visitors are planning their trips to Edinburgh online, you can't beat a warm Scottish welcome face to face.
"We believe there remains an appetite for this type of in-person experience for visitors, particularly with the draw of a shop and a café, so I'm pleased that we've been able to secure the visitor information centre's future.
"This will prove invaluable as we encourage tourists to visit all parts of the city in all seasons as part of the city's tourism strategy, and as we introduce Edinburgh's Visitor Levy next summer. The lease will also support us to raise income worth £3.5 million over the next 25 years.
"Cobbs is well established throughout Scotland with the family nearing 40 years of tourism experience and we're looking forward to welcoming them into the space."
Fraser Campbell, managing director of the Cobbs Group, said: "We're well established in Scotland as the Cobbs group and we proudly operate 35 sites across the country. Opening a tourism office in the heart of Edinburgh is a dream and we're excited to take over the lease. Right in the heart of Edinburgh's festival action, it is the ideal site for showcasing everything the city and Scotland has to offer.
'We're particularly keen to highlight local experiences and 'Made in Scotland' items where we can and I'd urge makers and crafters to please get in touch so that we can offer a unique and authentic range for tourists to enjoy on Edinburgh's famous Royal Mile.'
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