A member of the Fens tourism board has claimed both the tourism board and Fenland Council “had made glaring mistakes” in not promoting a new website.

Teresa Fowler- with her husband runs Common Rights Barn at Wisbech St Mary- believes mistakes have been made in not promoting a new tourism website more effectively.

“We are still not publicising the new website as efficiently as any business would and need to work on that,” she said.

“I assume that my job in tourism is as much about communication and customer service and I am disappointed that FDC’s press office were not instructed and informed well enough about our most recent activities.”

Mrs Fowler also blamed “fractured communication” for a press release from the council stating the tourism board did not meet throughout the summer because board members were too busy.

“In retrospect, those businesses have every right to be ‘too busy’ during summer months to fully participate at meetings,” she said. “This remark is far from demeaning as summer months should be at their busiest during the tourism season and the implication of ‘not being bothered’ couldn’t be more untrue.

“We have had some very poignant in-feed early on, especially from Charlie Boughen who, like other tourism operators, does not owe his success to leaving his business at peak times.

“We really need to pull together with the local press and the FDC Press Office in an effort to get positive articles printed and to attract other Fenland business operators to appear on the website.”

Mrs Fowler added: “I cannot promote our tiny corner of Fenland without including all the good businesses and attractions around our tourism site, which I refer to our visitors on a daily basis.

“We have all heard evidence that indicate local Fenlanders need some education on the attractions of our homeland and it is the job of all of us to raise the bar by promoting the area via the new website.

“We in Fens Tourism should be proud of our effort to reproduce the vast quantity of information from the comprehensive Cambridgeshire Fens publication to a modern digital format which can be much expanded in time.”

She said the council’s tourism officer had done “an exemplary job” in getting details for the website but more needed to be done.

She said a monthly tourism update would help and more positive and regular reporting was needed.

“We have all seen enough of derogatory negative reporting, which, unfortunately, all towns have to some degree. There is always something newsworthy and seasonal to report on from our lovely area if we just take time to look”

A council spokesman declined to comment on Mrs Towler’s comments.