A new initiative is under way to attract more visitors and promote tourism in Braintree district.

The first ever Tourism Forum is due to take place on Thursday in Braintree's Town Hall Centre.

The idea of the meeting was to highlight how various organisations can work together to raise the district's profile as a tourist destination for the benefit of the local economy.

Tourism manager Sharon Fouracres said: "Tourism is a very fragmented industry, so I think we will have more of an impact if we all work in partnership.

"We want to bring high quality to visitors in every service they use.

"For instance, if people go into a bed and breakfast, we want to make sure it is welcoming and clean."

According to recent figures, there has been an increase in the number of people visiting the district this summer.

But Essex has suffered a bad press which has put people off in the past, said Mrs Fouracres.

Part of the initiative is to market what the district has to offer in terms of relaxation, history and culture.

"We can offer people a lot here," said Mrs Fouracres. "It is a great place to relax and spend quality time unwinding from the stresses of urban life.

"What I am hoping is that we can always improve things. The idea behind these forums is an opportunity for people within the industry to talk to others to reach a common goal."

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