A drop in visitor numbers is being blamed for the closure of Luton’s Visitor Information Centre in November.
The centre, based in Luton Central Library in St George’s Square, is currently run by the charity Luton Culture and supported by funding from London Luton Airport Ltd.
Visitor numbers fell by more than 12,000 in 2012-13 compared to the previous year according to council figures.
A Luton council spokesperson said: “Staff at the Visitor Information Centre have been cheerfully helping people for over 20 years. But sadly, the drop in enquiries means that with so much information available online and elsewhere it is difficult to justify the funding to keep the centre open, especially with the need to focus funding on maintaining essential services such as protecting vulnerable children and older people.”
There are five members of staff who will lose their jobs, but Luton Cultural Trust will make every effort to help them find alternative posts within the organisation where possible.
Peadar McKenna of Nappsbury Road wrote to council leader Hazel Simmons to complain about the closure.
He said: “I visited the Visitor Information Centre this morning, there was a long queue outside the door, mostly people from overseas wanting to use this service.
“Luton needs tourists, this is a university town, with a population of approximately 165,000 residents, and the town needs the Visitor Information Centre... the benefits of their services they offer is intangible, if there is a need for subsidy, it should be given, since the council in the past has wasted money on useless projects, but this service is a benefit for all the communities, unlike some of the other useless projects.”
Some transport information and tourism brochures will be available from the Town Hall from December onwards.
National Express tickets are already available from www.nationalexpress.co.uk or from at their offices at Luton Airport.
Rail tickets and information is available from Luton Railway Station or www.nationalrail.co.uk
Tourist information can also be found at www.luton.gov.uk and www.experiencebedfordshire.co.uk