No funding for tourist service

Docklands is no closer to attracting tourists from the city’s major visitor entry point as the City of Melbourne has again deferred funding a Western Gateway Visitor Service.

Instead Council has allocated $50,000 in its draft 2013-14 budget for a “static trial visitor service”, which would provide further information to determine the best visitor service model.

Council has been discussing the idea of a visitor service at Southern Cross Station since 2011.

The service would provide information to visitors arriving to Docklands and other areas surrounding the station.

A City of Melbourne spokesperson said council’s tourism branch undertook a trial visitor information service at Southern Cross Station during March and April this year.

The purpose of the trial was to establish the breadth and volume of visitor-related enquiries and was conducted as a mobile service, operating in two locations.

The spokesperson said almost 12,000 enquiries were recorded during the trial, a significant proportion of which related to the station and public transport issues.

“The outcomes of the trial has raised a number of questions around the most appropriate model under which the service would operate,” the spokesperson said.

Destination Docklands CEO Anita Donnelly said her organisation was supportive of a visitor service at Southern Cross Station and welcomed the budget allocation.