Rural affairs minister, Alun Michael, and heritage minister, Tessa Blackstone, have launched a joint government and countryside initiative to promote tourism.

The purpose of the campaign, called "your countryside, you're welcome", is to reverse the slump in the number of visitors to rural areas following last year's foot and mouth outbreak, and the terrorist attacks in the US.

Forum Response: Country, Land and Business Association

Sir Edward Greenwell, president of the Country Land and Business Association, told ePolitix.com: "This campaign is crucial to the quick recovery of all rural businesses, be they farms, pubs, hotels, leisure facilities or visitor attractions. All businesses in the rural environment are dependent upon each other and so it is particularly important that representative organisations come together to encourage people back.

"With the future of the rural economy very much under the public spotlight at the moment, and the publication of the IPC report on the future of food and farming due tomorrow, rural businesses need your support to make any changes that will be required of them. Businesses need to be financially strong to deal with change and your visit makes all the difference.

"The CLA will be announcing campaign activities in time for the 'your countryside, you're welcome' week, March 11 to 17, but in the meantime, rural businesses can get involved by registering on our website and take advantage of free promotion for the campaign."

Forum Response: Countryside Agency

Keith Buchanan, spokesman for the Countryside Agency, told ePolitix.com: "Essentially people stopped visiting the countryside last year in large numbers and it had a very serious impact on businesses.

"There is no doubt that with the combination of foot and mouth and September 11, it was a double whammy and foreign visitor numbers came right down. This consensus came through in both the Rural Task Force and the Haskins Report that there should be a campaign to get people back. So there will be thousands of events up and down the country."

Forum Response: Countryside Alliance

Richard Burge, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, told ePolitix.com: "Our countryside is a national asset. But in turn, it must be the responsibility of the whole nation to ensure it survives and prospers. Just visiting and spending time in the country is not enough.

"The countryside needs its visitors to spend some money there as well - especially at this time, when the rural economy has been so long under the cosh. And whilst many of our forthcoming activities we have helped lay on are in themselves free of charge, we are urging people to give custom to the local amenities whilst they are there."