WEST Somerset will no longer have a dedicated visitor guide to promote its biggest industry following the decision to axe the district's annual printed brochure.

The Exmoor Tourism Partnership marketing group, which includes representatives of West Somerset Council, Exmoor National Park Authority, the Exmoor Tourist Association and local tourism businesses, announced this week it would not be producing the 'Exmoor, the Coast and Quantock Hills' brochure in 2014.

In a letter to businesses which advertised in the current edition of the publication, district council tourism officer Robert Downes said the decision had not been taken lightly.

But over the years the number of advertisers had been in decline and the fall in sales had resulted in a fall in income to cover design and production costs and, most importantly, effective distribution.

Mr Downes said that meant targeting key markets and placing the brochure in the hands of people interested in visiting the area, rather than simply hoping people would pick it up by chance.

To achieve this, the brochure had had to be subsidised in the past few years at the cost of other forms of marketing and promotion.

"The methods for effective marketing and promotion have changed considerably over the past couple of years and so have the methods that the majority of our consumers use to research their holiday choices," said Mr Downes.

"We know by using current visitor research that there is a considerable decline in the use of printed material to inform consumer choices."

The ETP has said it is keen to maximise its limited funds to best effect, striving to focus on the most targeted and cost effective forms of marketing in the future.

A major focus will be on driving 'traffic' to the area's number one marketing tool, the Visit Exmoor website.

Mr Downes said recent marketing activity by the ETP included producing a mobile version of the website, advertising on prime-time TV, attending national and European shows, employing a PR company to raise awareness of the area nationally, and promoting the area via Twitter, blogging and e-newsletters.

Joint marketing initiatives had also been developed, including tapping into West Somerset and Exmoor's place in the family of national parks, whilst the ETP had also supported localised marketing and promotion activity such as the Minehead Events Group, Porlock Trails Apps and Watchet markets.

"We of course recognise that there is still a place for printed materials and the ETP wants to ensure that the information available helps the visitor to make good informed choices about what they do in the area," said Mr Downes.

"We are working hard on a range of initiatives to reinforce this which includes new enhanced food and drink information, creative industries, activities and themed breaks."

Mr Downes said a wide range of options was being considered, offering new opportunities for businesses, and the council would be producing a regular tourism e-newsletter to keep people up to date.

But one Minehead hotelier claimed the alternatives currently being put forward to replace the brochure were "too woolly".

Bryan Leaker, who runs The Parks guesthouse in Minehead, said he understood the reasons behind the decision to axe the brocure.

"My concern is not in stopping the magazine but the failure to engage with the area's largest sector," he said.

"Before decisions like this are made, tourism providers should be called together and given the chance to work together to promote tourism.

"The alternatives being put forward are just too vague.

"We need a plan to protect jobs and ensure we bring visitors to West Somerset because without it we will lose out even more than we are now."