Elite Garages Opens Shaftesbury Tourist Information Hub

The new Shaftesbury Tourist Information Hub is located inside the Morrisons Daily supermarket on Bell Street, Shaftesbury, SP7 8AR.

Shaftesbury, a picturesque town in the heart of Dorset, faced an unexpected blow earlier this year when its longstanding Tourist Information Centre (TIC) closed its doors without warning. The closure left both locals and tourists bewildered, as they were suddenly left without a go-to place for local information, essential services, and more.

In a remarkable turn of events, Elite Garages, a family-run business took the initiative to fill the void left by the closure of Shaftesbury’s TIC. Situated inside their Morrisons Daily supermarket store on Bell Street, Elite Garages launched a brand-new Shaftesbury Tourist Information Hub, providing a much-needed lifeline for the community.

An Unconventional Tourist Information Hub

The concept of having a tourist information hub inside a supermarket may seem unconventional, but in the case of Shaftesbury, it proved to be a stroke of genius. Recognising the importance of tourism to the town’s economy, Elite Garages decided to merge their existing supermarket space with a dedicated tourist information area. This innovative approach ensured that locals and visitors could access the services they needed.

Shaftesbury Tourism Information Hub at Elite Garages' Morrisons Daily
Photo by Keri Jones, Alfred Daily

Elite Garages Supporting the Shaftesbury Community

Richard Whittemore, a representative of Elite Garages, expressed the significance of the Shaftesbury Tourist Information Hub in the context of the community. He highlighted the devastating impact of the previous TIC’s closure and acknowledged the immense support received from the Shaftesbury locals since Elite Garages opened its doors. Richard emphasised the importance of continuity in providing essential services and information to a community that had shown unwavering support to their family business.

“We have received considerable support from the Shaftesbury community since we opened last year. The sudden closure of previous Tourist Information Centre was devastating for the town – not just for tourists, but also many locals who relied on the business for local information, parcel services, bill payment services and more.”

Richard added, “Tourism is also hugely important to Shaftesbury and it was crucial that the tourist information services continued. We are pleased to offer these services to a community who have supported our family business since the beginning.”

Kelsie Whittemore also added, “We’ve never heard of a tourist information hub inside a supermarket before, but it was the perfect solution in this situation. With so many tourist information services closing across the country in recent years, perhaps this business model will serve as an alternative to closure for other locations. We have hired the former TIC manager Trevor Clements, who has also recruited the fantastic volunteers, so we can seamlessly continue the friendly service previously enjoyed by locals and tourists.”

What Does The Shaftesbury Tourist Information Hub Offer?

The Shaftesbury Tourist Information Hub at Morrisons Daily offers a range of services to cater to the needs of both residents and visitors. In addition to providing local information and advice, the hub acts as a central point for essential services such as bill payment and parcel collection through PayPoint and Collect+. This one-stop location allows people to conveniently handle various tasks while accessing the information they need.
The new Shaftesbury Tourist Information Hub also showcases an impressive range of locally sourced products. Visitors can indulge in the flavours of Dorset with items such as:

  • Dorset Tea
  • Gritchie Beer
  • Lilley’s Cider
  • The Real Cure meats
  • Jeroboams wine
  • Mounters13 Shaftesbury Gin
  • Olives Et Al
  • Dorset Blue Vinny cheese
  • Moore’s Biscuits

The Shaftesbury Tourist Information Hub will also actively promote local attractions and businesses to tourists. As well as volunteers sharing information and resources, the Hub has three new external 49” 4K digital screens for the promotion of Shaftesbury, local events, businesses and attractions.

Shaftesbury Elite Garages | Morrisons Daily

For more information about the Elite Garages branch in Shaftesbury, visit the website where you will also find locations of our other garages in the south and south east of England. If you are looking for the latest motoring advice and helpful tips, please follow our blog. And, if you’re in the area, why not visit our Shaftesbury Tourist Information Hub and let us know what you think? You can also leave us a review!