A new initiative by national tourism agency VisitBritain will see over 20 branches of leading high street bookseller, Waterstone’s, provide visitors with local visitor information in-store.

Each of the stores will prominently display free leaflets on local places to visit and events on a specially designed leaflet rack. ‘Enjoy England Information Point’ signs will be displayed in windows or doors, while Waterstone’s staff will be supplied with Pass Cards for visitor attractions to help improve their knowledge of tourism in their area. Additional training on frequently asked questions and local attractions will also be provided to staff.

The initiative has been designed to supplement the existing provision of visitor information through the Tourist Information Centres (TICs), both in towns where there is no TIC or where there is a need for more information points. Although not experts on the whole of England, Waterstone’s staff will be able to provide visitors with basic yet essential information and point visitors to TICs to take advantage of their more detailed knowledge.

Amanda Smyth, general manager for England marketing at VisitBritain, said: “This is an exciting initiative that supports our commitment to providing consumers with high quality tourist information ‘on demand’ – whenever and wherever they need it. It is not intended to replace our network of invaluable TICs, but will bring benefits to both sides and, most importantly, to domestic and international visitors.”

The partnership will improve the welcome visitors receive, giving them access to information in more outlets, open for longer hours. It has the potential to support visitor attractions, raising local people’s awareness of all they can enjoy on day trips close to home. It also promotes the services of Tourist Information Centres to local people who may not be aware of the services on offer.

Adam Janes, business communications manager at Waterstone’s said: “Waterstone’s was selected as a partner by VisitBritain because of the quality of our booksellers who are often very knowledgeable about a wide range of topics, including their local area. This is an ideal opportunity to attract more customers into our branches while positioning Waterstone’s at the heart of the local community.”

The roll-out of displays has begun at Stratford upon Avon, Southampton West Quay, Plymouth Drake Circus, University of Essex and Reading Broad Street. In Coventry, three stores are offering the service, complementing the three TIC outlets that already operate in the city. These will be followed by a further 10 stores in Amersham, Hereford, Hexham, London Science Museum, Lowestoft, Lincoln, Manchester, Newbury, Newton Abbot, and Norwich. More branches are expected to join the scheme in the coming months.