A COACH ambassador scheme in the city is set to continue next year after a successful reintroduction of the programme.

The scheme involved two ambassadors welcoming and assisting visitors arriving by coach as well as the group organisers, and coach drivers in order to "maximise the enjoyment of their visit, whilst promoting events and local businesses such as attractions, restaurants and shops".

The coach ambassador scheme had previously been a regular feature in the city, being funded by Salisbury District Council and then Wiltshire Council but it ended in 2010.

This year the city council provided £3,000 to restart the initiative with match-funding coming from the Salisbury Business Improvement District (BID).

It took place over a ten week period between July and September.

At the city council's services committee on Monday, councillors voted in support of providing £3,500 funding for next year, which it is hoped will be matched by the BID.

Council clerk Reg Williams said the scheme had been "very well received" by both visiting coach drivers and their passengers.

The increase in funding will help to make improvements such as increased signage and a new carpet for the drivers' restroom.

Councillor Matthew Dean said: "I think it's a very core thing that we offer to support our leisure and tourism industry."

In a report on the scheme's success, the toilets in Millstream Coach Park were highlighted as a source of many complaints from visitors.

The report stated: "The toilet facilities are not a good welcome to Salisbury - the smell coming from them is usually very unpleasant and strong."

Councillor Michael Pope said it was a "terrible situation" that tourists were having to use the facilities in such a state, adding that his own recent experience had involved him walking into, and immediately straight out of, the toilets because "they were so bad".

He also said the coach park was in the "ideal location" for both access from the ring road and for passengers going into the city, saying it "should not be moved anywhere else".

Millstream Coach Park is due to close at some point as part of the Maltings redevelopment.

While plans are yet to be finalised, the future could involve part of Brown Street Car Park being turned into a short stay coach park with room for eight to 12 coaches.

The current coach drop off point on St John’s Street would be retained for people who are visiting Salisbury Cathedral, with Stanhope – the developer behind the Maltings scheme – having pledged to provide another drop off point for people visiting the other side of the city.

Coaches for day trippers and tourists spending longer in the city would then go to Britford park and ride, after they have dropped off their passengers.

Statistics:

  • OVER the summer, the ambassadors welcomed around 1,000 coaches - 366 different coach companies from all over the world. 
     
  • Of the overseas visitors the majority of the groups were German with groups from Spain, Italy, France, China and Ukraine also noted. 
     
  • At its busiest, Millstream Coach Park had 18 coaches parked up at the same time. At it's quietest, there were two coaches in the coach park.
     
  • The average number of coaches at any one time at St John Street was two, with no coaches there at all on many occasions.
     
  • The average length of stay in Salisbury was one to three hours with just eight per cent of coaches staying more than three hours. 
     
  • The most popular day tour route involved Salisbury and Stonehenge. 
     
  • Due to the longer time now needed in Stonehenge due to the new visitor centre, tour companies are generally doing one of three things: cutting out visiting Salisbury altogether, not visiting Stonehenge or greatly reducing their time in Salisbury. 
     
  • The busiest days of the week were the market days: Tuesdays and Saturdays with busy days also when tours from the cruise ships visited.