Less informed

With the closure of the Tourist Office in Brodick, we are left with the knowledge that tourists are being uninformed more than ever. We can't expect them all to jump on their phones and find Facebook pages that will answer their queries and, in my world, paper is still the most powerful way to distribute visual, immediate and wifi-free information.

Also this week, someone came up with the questionable idea of putting "Tourist" stickers on cars, as if to suggest they'll get some immunity from prosecution if they park badly or, in more serious cases, they create an accident.

These two issues would be solved if Calmac were forced to hand out visitor information packs at the kiosks in Ardrossan and Troon. I have been vocal about this before but it falls on deaf ideas. Waiting in your car in the ferry queue provides you with a boring 45 minutes where you could be engaged in reading about local news, perhaps updated with upcoming events. It is not rocket science for those in the tourist industry to make this happen. And it would hugely beneficial for local businesses to share news of a new product, service or event they are involved in. Hugely populated with QR codes, photos and other quirky 'goings on', this info pack could prove an essential part of the holiday experience for visitors and, at least, provide information on distances from one point to another on the island, petrol stations, pharmacies, year-round places of interest and an update for cyclists and caravan owners.