TOURIST information centres in Kelso and Hawick are to close.

Yesterday, VisitScotland confirmed that it will shut 39 of its 65 offices across the country over the next two years to create 26 regional hubs.

The tourism organisation has recorded a 58 per cent drop in footfall to the centres nationwide over the last 12 years.

A consultation will now take place to determine where the Borders regional hub will be based.

The Kelso centre will close at the end of the month, while the Hawick facility will be taken over by LiveBorders.

In the meantime, the centres in Peebles and Jedburgh will remain open.
Paula Ward, Regional Director at VisitScotland said: "The way visitors access information has changed significantly over the past decade. 

"It’s time to switch our focus and investment into new and diverse initiatives to ensure we are reaching as many visitors to the Scottish Borders as possible with the information they want, in the way they want it, when they want it.

"With three in four adults now owning a smartphone, a key focus is ensuring our digital communications provide succinct inspirational and informational advice to visitors at every stage of their journey. 

"However, we know that speaking to locals is also important to our visitors and with our 26 high impact travel hubs located throughout the country, more than 80 local information partners locally and our team of outreach staff travelling around the region throughout the year, it means that there is always advice on what to see and do and where to go wherever people are.

"The information revolution is upon us and we look forward to telling more and more visitors all about the Scottish Borders across all our different channels for many years to come."