AN exciting drive to bring back tourists to Dartmoor following last year's foot and mouth crisis was this week launched by the Dartmoor Tourist Association.

Members and guests at Monday's launch at the Prince Hall Hotel near Two Bridges heard the new campaign had 'three central planks'.

These were the production of the glossy new Dartmoor Guide 2002, an up-dated and user-friendly website and telephone enquiry hotline.

The DTA tourism drive has been funded with the help of a grant of £120,000 from the Rural Development Agency.

Adam Southwell, DTA acting chairman, is proprietor of the Prince Hall Hotel, next door to the farm which suffered Dartmoor's only outbreak of the disease a year ago.

Mr Southwell said: 'We were full at the time. We got a phone call to say there was a suspected case at Dunnabridge, and after talking it over we thought it sensible to ask the guests to leave on the Monday morning.

'On the Tuesday we were served with restriction notices.'

All ten staff at Prince Hall were laid off until the re-opening of the hotel in July, when they had a busy first month.

'The end of the season rallied a bit and at the beginning of this year we are a little bit above average,' Mr Southwell said.

'We're all trying to be positive about this year. People have seen how valuable the countryside is to them — when something is taken away they appreciate it.

'It's a matter of making people more Dartmoor aware,' said Mr Southwell.

'With bookings for the coming season now looking healthy, those involved in tourism on Dartmoor should be able to anticipate a year that will help wipe away the gloom of 2001.'

Stuart Fraser, of the Garden House, Buckland Monachorum, was involved in strategies devised to help the DTA's 200+ members, who are from all sectors of the tourism industry.

Mr Fraser said the brochure, website and hotline were the 'three central planks' which the DTA hoped would improve tourism-based moorland businesses.

'The thrust is to let people know we are open for business. We have every ingredient — Dartmoor is the best place for a holiday,' Mr Fraser said.

The Garden House, one of Dartmoor's leading visitor attractions, managed to stay open during the foot and mouth crisis, but suffered a dramatic fall in visitor numbers.

Mr Fraser said: 'This time last year everybody's phone was ringing off the hook with people ringing up to cancel.'

But he said people were beginning to come back to Dartmoor.

'At the Garden House our group bookings are at an all-time high,' he said.

One DTA member has called for government intervention to help small businesses, should foot and mouth strike once more.

Alan Selwood of the Forest Inn, Hexworthy, said he and his wife suffered 'a double whammy'.

Their business, in the middle of a culled area, was badly affected. They also know the local farmers.

'We didn't have the same psychological problems as them, although we were financially hit, and it put it into perspective,' he said.

The Forest Inn opened fully in July — although Mr Selwood said they may as well have stayed closed for the amount of business they did.

Four members of staff were made redundant, with the others being laid off in the meantime.

Although he is hoping for a good year, he said he was not expecting it to be a record-breaking one.

He said: 'The tourism industry is highly weather-dependent. I'm not seeing signs of a record-breaking year coming up — but if the weather is good, people will say "Let's go to Dartmoor".

'If the disease was to come back, I am not sure that we would have the strength to go through it all again.'

Mr Selwood said a coherent government strategy should be put in place to help small businesses through any future outbreak.

Chrissy Mason of Dartmoor National Park Authority said it wanted to focus on the future:

She said: 'We want to build on the relationship built up between the farming and tourism industry during the crisis — and have a good summer based on the special facilities of the national park.'

Ms Mason said the crisis had raised the profile of tourism on Dartmoor, being probably the biggest sector employer on the moor.

'The co-operation between the industries was overwhelming,' she said.

Alison Stoneham from West Devon Borough Council said the council had given the DTA a great deal of support, including ideas and suggestions for funding.

The council had also set up the advice centre at Hatherleigh and played a large role in dispensing information to the general public, such as where they could and could not walk.

'One of the main things we did to help was foot and mouth business rates relief, with businesses receiving up to 100% relief,' said Mrs Stoneham.

The new DTA brochure and booking hotline number is 01271 336134 — the website can be found at http://www.dartmoor-guide.co.uk">www.dartmoor-guide.co.uk

Any businesses interested in joining the DTA can should call 01822 890514.