THE Teesdale Mercury’s shop, in Barnard Castle, is the latest to sign up to a Visit County Durham scheme to provide a network of tourist information points.
Visitors to the dale, as well as residents, can now pop into the shop to get information about things to see and do in the area. The shop has a host of leaflets, as well as an information file about everything anyone wants to know about the county.
Along with the new visitor information point at the shop, Visit County Durham also held a Welcome To Durham training programme at The Witham where 12 people learned how to welcome visitors.
Michelle Gorman, managing director of Visit County Durham, said: “We’re delighted that another 12 individuals have committed to offering the very best customer service through the programme.
“The best way to build customer loyalty in the tourism and hospitality industry is to provide good customer service. Visitors who are treated efficiently and with respect are made to feel important and will return. People who have a positive experience at a hotel, restaurant, attraction, or even just speaking with a taxi driver, will tell other people about that and make it far more likely that they will visit [County] Durham too.”
Sandra Moorhouse, project leader of Making Barney Brighter Together, said: “The completion of the Welcome to Durham course by myself and a number of local staff and volunteers has helped our aim in improving the overall welcome in Barnard Castle.
“The number of those involved shows the commitment to providing the best possible service we can to visitors and residents alike” .
Leanne Alinson, manager of Teesdale Mercury’s shop said: “People often come in ask about a lot of things so now we will be able to help out. We have a folder which has everything in it, including history, attractions, dining and even transport”
New signs have been put up on the shop’s door to tell people about the service.
