A new gateway for tourists has arrived on Liverpool’s world-famous waterfront, ensuring the city is equipped to handle a record-breaking summer of international travel and culture.
A new Visitor Welcome Centre has opened at Pier Head, providing a dedicated point of contact for visitors on the city’s waterfront.
The centre offers information on attractions, cultural events, accommodation, restaurants, transport, tours, and attraction tickets, as well as souvenirs and free city maps.
The experienced staffing team also delivers pop-up welcome services at major events and locations, having previously supported visitors at the Eurovision Song Contest and BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend.
The new facility at Pier Head acts as a temporary base while preparations continue for a permanent home in the Liverpool Gerry Marsden Ferry Terminal.
Establishing this interim facility on the waterfront ensures the team can support rising visitor numbers during a packed summer of events, including the arrival of cruise liner passengers and major sporting highlights like The Open in Birkdale this July.
Supporting a Busy Summer Calendar
Natalie Wyatt, Managing Director of the Liverpool City Region Destination Partnership, said:
“Liverpool City Region Destination Partnership is welcoming more visitors than ever and it’s vital that we make it as easy as possible for people to get the information and support they need to enjoy their time here.
“Having two visitor welcome points, one in the heart of the city centre at Liverpool ONE and a brand new location at Pier Head, allows us to meet visitors where they are, whether they’re arriving by cruise ship, ferry, train, car or simply exploring the waterfront and the region on foot.
“Our friendly, knowledgeable Visitor Welcome team play a huge role in shaping first impressions of the city region, and this investment reflects our ambition to deliver a world-class welcome, particularly as we head into our busiest periods of the year.”
The extension of tourist services builds on a successful public-private partnership with Liverpool ONE, which has housed a tourism information facility for the past four years.
The Liverpool ONE Guest Services Team will continue to provide support from their Information Centre on Wall Street, giving visitors even greater access to expert advice.
Expanded Services and Digital Innovation
The expanded visitor provision across the city region now includes manned information points at Pier Head and Liverpool ONE as well as the Southport Visitor Welcome Centre at The Atkinson.
Innovation plays a key role in the new strategy, with a digital information kiosk at Liverpool John Lennon Airport and a digital avatar, powered by AI, at Southport train station.
The avatar, affectionately known as Jimmy, will be in place to welcome visitors to The Open and answer questions about the locality, transport, and attractions at the touch of a button.
Donna Howitt, Deputy Centre Director at Liverpool ONE and Deputy Chair of the LCRDP, added:
“Over the past four years, we’ve seen first-hand the difference that a strong visitor welcome makes to visitors to Liverpool City Region.
“Our Guest Services team at Liverpool ONE will continue to play a key role in helping visitors to explore the different experiences and vast cultural offer across the city and wider region.
“We’re proud to have supported this successful partnership and welcome the expansion of visitor welcome services to Pier Head.
“Maintaining a presence at Liverpool ONE while strengthening provision on the waterfront ensures more visitors will benefit from our world-renowned warm and knowledgeable welcome.”
Additional investment has also been made in a city region-wide welcome training programme in collaboration with Merseytravel and Mersey Ferries.
Frontline staff will receive full training on creating a welcoming and helpful customer experience to ensure the thousands of people visiting the city region have an unforgettable experience.
