Buckingham Tourist Information Centre helps to provide support for the town centre through activities to draw trade to the town, and engagement in matters affecting the town centre. Most recently organised, was the successful Small Business Festive Passport event.
The Small Business Festive Passport was a Christmas shopping initiative which encouraged shoppers to buy locally this festive season. Each purchase at a participating Buckingham retailer earned those taking part a stamp or sticker for their passport. These could then be entered into a prize draw to win a £50 voucher for a local Buckingham shop. The winner was Jill Jones.
Several print runs of passports took place, and plans are already afoot for next year’s event!
The Tourist Information Centre, conveniently located in the Old Gaol Museum, is the first port of call for tourism and promotion of North Buckinghamshire attractions. From our experience, visitors are always enthusiastic about their visit to the area and by the abundance of countryside, historic homes, museums, and quaint highstreets. These are often explored following recommendations from the Tourist Information Centre, Discover Buckingham website and social media run by the Buckingham Town Centre Manager.
The Tourist Information Centre also offers the following services:
- Leaflets covering tourist attractions in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Northamptonshire.
- The giftshop sells a range of souvenirs and locally handmade gifts and products including honey, art prints and cards. All products are produced in and around Buckingham, supporting local photographers, artists and crafters.
- Selling tickets for local festivals and concerts.
- Theatre tokens, National Express coach tickets etc.
- Information about local transport, restaurants and hotels.
- Promoting local retailers and events in the TIC, online through social media and through the Discover Buckingham website. Discover Buckingham is quickly becoming a go to website to find out more about the local area, with a 40% increase in users between 2022 and 2023.
- Engagement activities, run by the Town Centre Manager, for example the hugely popular summer Swan and Otter trails, Small Business Saturday, market promotions and more.
Cllr. Robin Stuchbury, Chair of the Town Centre & Events Committee, said that: “I’d like to thank everyone involved throughout the Christmas period working hard to promote our town centre shops. I believe the Festive Passport was well received and achieved its aims in supporting the local economy. I would like to personally thank the Town Centre Manager and team for all the work they put into this initiative, as well as the traders within Buckingham who took part in this joint enterprise in supporting the local economy.”
