A NEW organisation that has been set up to increase business tourism in Cumbria is holding its inaugural meeting today.

The Carlisle and Cumbria Conference Group, which has been given £100,000 by the Northwest Regional Development Agency and Cumbria Tourism to develop the county as a conference destination, is meeting at the Carlise Racecourse at 10am.

The group, which includes key South Lakeland hoteliers Dan Visser, of the Langdale Estate, and Tim Rumney, of Kendal’s Castle Green Hotel, aims to strengthen Cumbria’s economy by making the most of its location and venue infrastructure to tap into the UK’s £7 billion a year conference market.

Mr Visser, marketing manager of the Langdale Estate, said: “The group will be marketing the county to people, agencies, associations and businesses booking conferences and events.”