Tourist centre reopens

Following two years of uncertainty the former Falmouth Tourist Information (TIC) Centre reopened its doors yesterday (August 1).

Now known as the Fal River Visitor Information Centre (FRVIC), the facility has been taken over by Cornwall Ferries.

As well as offering general tourist information, the FRVIC now offers a range of products and services that allow people to explore the river including a free guidebook and the Fal Mussel Card, which gives unlimited hop on, hop off travel around the river on ferries, buses and trains.

The official launch attended by guests and local dignitaries was held at the premises on Prince of Wales Pier.

Cornwall Ferries managing director, Tim Light, said: “In many ways this might be considered a classic example of the Prime Minister’s ‘Big Society’.

“Where the state withdraws it is up to the business community to decide what can be saved and in my, and many other businesses opinion, provision of a visitor information centre in a town that has such an economic reliance on our many visitors is just a case in point.

“But we are not able to rely on past operating models and have plans to increase the use of technology to get more visitors to Falmouth and also once here spend more time in the town and hopefully become regular visitors.”

Although there has been a change in ownership, the centre will be managed by a familiar face, Nicola Kneebone, who previously ran the TIC for nine years.