CUMBRIA Tourist Board has announced it will hold a meeting to discuss the future of the county's tourist information centres.

The multi-agency meeting, to be held on March 10, will look at ways of improving the service the centres provide to the millions of visitors who descend on the Lakes each year.

Cumbria has 33 TICs and representatives from the 13 different operators including district and town councils will meet the CTB's deputy chief executive Ian Stephens, and officials from the North West Regional Development Agency to consider ideas for the centres' future role, funding and management.

Last week, the Lake District National Park Authority announced its centres at Seatoller, Waterhead and Pooley Bridge would not be reopening after winter due to acute budget problems.

But CTB press officer Ellis Butcher said the purpose of next month's meeting was to build partnerships between the different operators: "The tourist board does not run or manage the TICs, we are involved in an advisory capacity.

"The purpose of the meeting is to get everyone involved in the running of the centres together so we can share ideas on how to improve the service we offer visitors."

CTB's Ian Stephens said: "Cumbria Tourist Board has a duty to develop the tourism industry in Cumbria and is currently developing long-term plans to safeguard the important role TICs play in the county's economy."

TICs deal with more than four million inquiries from visitors every year, bringing in more than £42 million into the county.