LIVERPOOL, UK.-Merseyside will maximise massive opportunities to attract extra visitors to the region during European Capital of Culture year 2008 under an agreement signed. The region's designated Tourist Board, The Mersey Partnership (TMP) which has responsibility for promoting tourism across Merseyside, and the Liverpool Culture Company have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreeing a schedule of activity which will benefit the region's entire tourism sector.

In a further boost to the ambitious tourism development activity, Merseyside now has a dedicated representative based at the London headquarters of the UK's international tourism marketing bureau VisitBritain.

And Liverpool City Region is showcasing its unique appeal to tourists at the annual World Travel Market (WTM) event opening today. (Nov 14) at Excel in London.

TMP Chief Executive Robert Crawford and Liverpool Culture Company Chief Operating Officer Jason Harborow signed the Memorandum of Understanding.

The agreement covers areas of activity including tourist information and accommodation bookings; destination marketing; working with the cruise industry; tourism research; marketing events and destination and brand development.

Martin King, Director of Tourism at TMP said: "The Mersey Partnership is the region's designated Tourist Board with responsibility for promoting the whole of Merseyside as a unique visitor destination. Liverpool is a world-class brand with enormous pulling power around the world and we have a fantastic opportunity to harness that power to draw visitors to the city and the wider region."

He added: "The city's year as European Capital of Culture in 2008 will be an enormous draw, and we will be working hard together to ensure visitors to Liverpool are aware not only that the city is celebrating its fantastic accolade as the UK's latest Capital of Culture, but also that it is at the heart of the magnificent region of Merseyside with its unrivalled range of visitor and tourist attractions."

Jason Harborow, Chief Operating Officer of Liverpool Culture Company said: "This memorandum is a great step forward in showcasing Liverpool's and Merseyside's unrivalled cultural offer to the world at such a critical time.

''By combining forces, we are able to maximise our resources, skills and contacts to promote the region as one the most exciting, must see destinations over the coming decades. Together we will also be able to capitalise on the support of the Regional Development Agency and Visit Britain to reach the widest possible audience.''

Driving the Merseyside message through VisitBritain's worldwide network will be Anna Maloney, recently appointed Promotions Officer for Liverpool Culture Company and TMP.

Her brief is to position the Capital of Culture within VisitBritain campaigns abroad, and maximise the value and profile of 2008.

Anna has worked as Conference Manager at Liverpool Hope Universitry for the past two years, after being a part of TMP's conference team for three years before that. She is fluent in French and has a special interest in arts and culture.

This week's World Travel Market is the international travel industry's premier exhibition. Over 5,000 national tourist offices, industry organisations, tour operators, hotels, cruise lines and airlines from more than 190 countries and regions will be participating.

Liverpool Culture Company, Wirral Tourism and Livesmart will join The Mersey Partnership and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) to promote England's Northwest to WTM's international audience.