THE Two Bridges Hotel near Princetown was the venue last week for a conference which brought together nearly 100 people interested in promoting a more co-ordinated approach to sustainable tourism on Dartmoor.

Chief executive and national park officer Nick Atkinson, chairman of the Dartmoor Tourist Association, Jane Seigal, and Carol Hutchings, chairman of the South Devon Tourism Association, welcomed delegates and talked about the aims of the Dartmoor Partnership.

Malcolm Bell, director of South West Tourism, set out the national and regional context for sustainable tourism and emphasised the growing sector of short second and third holidays in the south west.

Bill Breakell, tourism and traffic management officer for the North York Moors National Park, highlighted the importance of communicating with the tourist industry and visitors and listening carefully to what they identify as their needs.

Nigel Way from the Royal Castle Hotel in Dartmouth, a market leader in green tourism, told the meeting he listens to his own staff who contribute to a regular green committee.

He also stressed the need for tourist providers to explain to their visitors what green measures they also are promoting and why they are doing so.

In the afternoon the delegates were given the opportunity to discuss their own challenges in relation to promoting the distinctiveness of market towns, networking information on local events, marketing local produce, increasing visitor spending and protecting the environment.