MOVES are afoot to make Ringwood’s run-down visitor information centre the place to go to find out things about the town.

Jim Stride, the man behind the Daily Echo-backed Ringwood Loyalty Discount Scheme, was astounded to find the VIC, located in Meeting House Lane, only opens from 10am to 3.30pm on Wednesdays and Fridays with half-an-hour for lunch, and from 10am to 1pm on Saturdays.

Lyndhurst’s VIC is open 10am to 5pm seven days a week and Lymington’s from 10am to 4pm six days a week.

“Ringwood truly deserves a top class tourist information centre which carries out many more services than it currently does. It needs to be the information hub of Ringwood,” he said. “With an increase of about 30 per cent to 40 per cent of holidaymakers holidaying in the UK rather than travelling abroad, it strikes me that the tourist information centre is essential for Ringwood.

“The amount of foreigners choosing the UK will also be on the increase.”

He is talking to New Forest District Council’s tourism chief Tony Climpson about the issues involved. Ringwood Tourism Group is being consulted about maximising the Ringwood/New Forest District Council link.

Ringwood School is being asked about the possibility of providing work experience for tourism students at the centre.

And he wants to form the New Forest Group to exchange information with other forest towns and villages in a bid to avoid community event clashes. In addition, the town will pilot a new visitor information website linked to the main district council site.

“The visitor information centre should be the first stop you make when you need to find out information about the area,” he said.