TOURISM chief Sir Gary Verity has suggested that Haworth Visitor Information Centre (VIC) and others in the district threatened with closure could be run by volunteers.

He was speaking after Bradford Council launched a public consultation over the future of its tourism service.

A review commissioned by the local authority is recommending that Bradford VIC should be retained, at the expense of the district's three others – Haworth, Ilkley and Saltaire.

Sir Gary – chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire – cited the tourist centre in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, as an example of a successful volunteer-run enterprise.

"Thirsk is run entirely by volunteers and it's probably a lot more successful now than it was when the council was running it," he said.

"I'm not aware of the specifics of the debate in Bradford but tourist information centres still have a role to play in the visitor economy.

"It's just a question of who's going to pick them up and run with them."

Worth Valley ward councillor, Rebecca Poulsen, said the idea of a volunteer-run centre was "worth looking at".

She added: "A model that could work would be similar to a lot of the libraries, with a paid co-ordinator, who is accountable, overseeing a group of volunteers. We need to keep an information centre in Haworth."

But ward colleague, Cllr Glen Miller, claimed a volunteer model would not work in Haworth as the rent on the property would be too expensive.

According to the review, carried out by TEAM Tourism Consulting, Haworth VIC is the most expensive of all four to run – at over £101,000 a year.

Its estimated income is £19,000, second only to Ilkley – much of whose revenue is from ticket sales for the King's Hall.

The review team concedes Haworth is "the key VIC".

"It deals with the most visitor enquiries and probably adds the most value to the destination," it states.

But the recommended option is that all should be shut except Bradford VIC, which would be refocussed as a "welcome and interpretation centre".

The move would save about £244,000.

Council chiefs say they need to slash the tourism budget by £172,000 by 2017-18 and are keen to hear public opinions on the proposals.

People can also comment on a so-called destination management plan, developed with ideas from a wide range of businesses, attractions and volunteers involved in the visitor economy.

For more details and to give your views, visit bradford.gov.uk/consultations.

The consultation runs until March 5.