TWO rival publications promoting tourism across Exmoor and West Somerset will be hitting the stands next season. Visit Exmoor, a partnership between the industry and public bodies which classes itself as the official tourism promoter for the area, is going head to head with Exmoor Coast and Country Ltd, previously an offshoot of the organisation. Visit Exmoor chairman Mike Ellicott told the Free Press yesterday (Thursday) that the organisation would be producing a new named brochure in a new format for 2008. But Watchet businessman John Richards, a former Visit Exmoor director, announced that 65,000 copies of the Exmoor Coast and Country Ltd would be published in December for the 2008 season. The clash follows an ongoing dispute over ownership of the Exmoor Coast and Country title. Mr Richards said that the directors of Exmoor Coast and Country had considered all the options but had decided that at the present time there was no practical way to merge with Visit Exmoor. "We have, therefore, taken the decision, for the benefit of local tourism, to carry on independently as before and produce the 2008 guide to the same exacting standards - or better - than the 2007 guide." Mr Richards admitted there had been "tentative talks" between the two sides recently as to whether Visit Exmoor could take over production of the existing guide. But he claimed that it had become apparent that the organisation did not have the resources or staff needed to produce it in it current format. Mr Richards said the guide had been run as a non- profit business for the last five years, having taken over the task from West Somerset Council. Mr Ellicott said Visit Exmoor was the elected body tasked with promoting the Greater Exmoor area for tourism by the council and the Exmoor National Park Authority. "Our new brochure will be the official brochure. "Exmoor Coast and Country Ltd was set up as a separate company when Visit Exmoor was formed because Visit Exmoor could not handle the financial side of the publication. "We have been trying to bring the existing guide back into the fold and the current situation is unfortunate. "But we have decided that rather than get bogged down over this we will get on with producing a new guide." The name of the new publication will be revealed at Visit Exmoor's annual meeting, which will be held in Dunster's newly refurbished tithe barn on May 23.