WEST Somerset's dedicated visitor guide aimed at promoting the district's biggest industry - tourism - is not being properly marketed, it was claimed this week.

The Exmoor Coast and Country brochure was saved last year after almost becoming the victim of a bitter wrangle that led to the demise of Visit Exmoor, the industry-run tourism association partnered with West Somerset District Council and the Exmoor National Park Authority.

An alliance between the council and the Exmoor Tourist Association, an independent organisation that has represented tourism businesses in West Somerset and North Devon for more than 24 years, ensured the continued publication of the guide until at least 2010.

But Watchet-based businessman John Richards, joint director of Exmoor Coast and Country Ltd, the company originally behind the guide, has claimed that a lack of finance is affecting the marketing of the 2009 guide.

Mr Richards said the brochure had only been advertised in one daily newspaper.

"Unless a full and active and expensive marketing campaign is started soon, the guide will not get 'out there' in people's hands and therefore responses will be down," he said.

"It is a 'catch 22' situation but if we do not do something there will be less advertisers next year."

And Mr Richards has also raised a questionmark over the production of the 2010 guide after announcing that he is "stepping back" from being actively involved in its production.

Although responsibility for the production of Exmoor Coast and Country was handed to the ETA, with a £15,000 grant from the district council, Mr Richards insists that he put in more than 200 hours' work to ensure the 2009 guide came out.

He said he was not resigning from the Exmoor Coast and Country board nor had the shareholders - the ETA - suggested he should.

But although he was prepared to "do any organising and overseeing" he would not take over total responsibility for the detailed production, as in the past.

"Last year I was promised loads of help to produce the guide but it never materialised.

"I had to put in hundreds of unpaid hours in order to get the guide out. This was not planned and a great inconvenience but I could not, nor would not, let down the customers who expect me to produce the guide each year."

Mr Richards said he was again led to believe that for the 2010 guide, he would simply be "organising" and passing on skills.

"It has become obvious that this is not the case and again it was expected that I would do all the work.

"Well I do not have the time this year to give up in excess of 200 hours for free."

Mr Richards said he claimed just £250 expenses, plus petrol, for his work, the true commercial cost of which would run to around £10,000.

The Free Press contacted ETA chairman Antony Brunt on Wednesday and made arrangements to discuss Mr Richards' claims but yesterday (Thursday) he was unavailable for comment.