Council / No update on tourist office as deadline passes
SHETLAND Islands Council says it is currently unable to provide any update on the level of interest shown in Lerwick’s tourist office building, which is set to come up for grabs soon.
The deadline for expressions of interest in a sale or lease of the town centre property was 15 August.
But when asked about the levels of interest registered in the property, a spokesperson for building owner SIC said: “While this process is underway we’re unable to comment further, until a decision has been made on the way forward.”
The spokesperson also confirmed that councillors will make the decision on how to proceed with the building, with a report expected in due course.
Shetland Tourism Association (STA) chair Amanda Hawick confirmed that the organisation had submitted a lease proposal on the tenth of August but have not heard anything back yet.
She said STA’s proposal was provisionally for a lease of a minimum of two years.
A petition launched recently to keep the building as a tourist centre but under new local management has now reached more than 4,000 signatures.
The council had invited offers over £200,000 for the building’s sale, or offers over £20,000 per annum for a lease.
It comes as VisitScotland is set to vacate the building in November as part of a nationwide closure of its iCentres.
Recent figures showed that the Lerwick office had the highest income of all iCentres in Scotland 2023/24 after Edinburgh.
VisitScotland’s move to close its office in Shetland has been met with great disappointment locally.
The organisation said nationally most visitors now plan all aspects of their holiday before they leave home, gaining inspiration from online sources or tour operators and travel agents.
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