THE city’s mayor says he wants to see a tourist information centre near High Town and has identified a possible site.

Cllr Charles Nicholls believes an empty unit on Widemarsh Street would be an ideal site for a tourist office.

He is looking for people to join a group which can devise a business plan enabling Hereford City Council to release funds, enabling his vision to become a reality for the city.

The mayor says tourism brings in millions of pounds to the area each year, but believes more can still be done to attract tourists here.

“It’s something I feel very passionate about,” he said.

“I tabled a motion to the city council asking them to consider the principle of our own tourist information centre. Without any exception, every hand went up.

“I want every business to get behind us. Tourism is the most beneficial aspect of our economy. It’s our lifeblood.”

He said once a group is formed, he will invite them to draw up a business plan which would be put to the city council’s Finance and Policy Committee to “identify appropriate funds”.

“We have looked at premises,” said Cllr Nicholls, who revealed he had considered the former Pandora shop near M&S but is after a more spacious unit.

“The Widemarsh Street unit is on three floors. The premises needs to be in the middle of town, in or near High Town.”

He said the annual rent on the unit could be met by letting a flat on the top floor and allowing a stakeholder to have a room on the second floor, with the rest met by the city council.

In a letter to individuals he hopes will be interested he said: “We have so much to offer but we hide our light under a bushel.

“I want to liberate that light, let it shine like a beacon, unmistakably recognised with the symbol ‘TIC’ as the destination for information and direction for everyone fortunate to visit or pass our way.”

In May, the Visit Herefordshire group vacated its premises in King Street – the site of the city’s former tourist information centre – and moved to Hereford Town Hall.

The move came after Herefordshire Council announced that no further funding would be available for the organisation from next April.