‘I’m taking part in a psychic event in town but I’ve forgotten the name of my hotel.’ Just one of the questions faced by tourist centre staff.
Ipswich’s Tourist Information Centre (TIC) is celebrating its 21st “birthday” in its St Stephen’s Church home in the town centre.
Since moving there from the Corn Exchange in May 1994, the Borough Council’s TIC staff have greeted more than three million customers, handed out 500,000 brochures and sold more than 150,000 postcards. In addition, visitors have sought 2,000 accommodation bookings.
The TIC is also a booking hub for everything from river cruises and coaches to Regent Theatre tickets. Since 1994, 50,000 people have enjoyed a river cruise on the Orwell. A further 30,000 people have delighted in guided walks, which set out from the TIC to uncover Ipswich’s hidden treasures and history.
The service has not gone unnoticed! The team has won Best Tourism Service in Suffolk three times and best Tourist Information Centre in the East of England twice.
TIC Manager David Stainer has been at St Stephen’s for all of that time and he remembers some of the slightly more unusual enquiries that he and his colleagues have dealt with:
“If I donate my body to science, how long will they keep it?”
‘I’m taking part in a psychic event in town but I’ve forgotten the name of my hotel.’
“Can I take bacon to the Isle of Wight?”
“Is there a Nik Kershaw Museum in Ipswich?”
“Is the Tattingstone White Horse one of those ancient figures cut into a hill?”
“Please will you provide portable toilets for when we come to queue for our Daniel O’Donnell tickets?”
The Tourist Information Centre provides a service for local people as well as visitors. Pop in to find out where to go, what to see and to buy tickets for the Regent, Corn Exchange or for Ipswich Arts Festival events and the Suffolk Show. There is also a wide range of great gifts, greeting cards, books maps, local produce and much more.
The TIC is open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm. Tel: 01473 258070, email tourist@ipswich.gov.uk.
