MORE information about the future of a county tourist organisation has come to light.

With funding from Herefordshire Council set to reduce by 100 per cent in 2016, Visit Herefordshire is making a number of changes.

In a newsletter to members, the organisation states that membership will cease from March 31 2014.

But for businesses whose membership year continues after that period, an alternative promotional opportunity will be offered.

The organisation will also no longer be able to organise tourist forums or produce monthly newsletters, although a new blog will be launched from April 1.

And it will no longer be organising the Herefordshire Walking Festival although this is to continue being run by volunteers and will take place between June 14 and 22 this year.

HOWEVER, some tourism businesses in the county are set to benefit from more than £100,000 worth of capital grants.

The Business Enterprise Fund has already awarded grants of £87,000 to tourism businesses in Herefordshire and Shropshire and a further £30,000 is allocated to eight more that are implementing projects ready for the new 2014 season.

The grants are funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – administered by Shropshire Council – and are open to all tourism businesses within the area.

Grants of up to £5,000 are available which need to be match funded by the business.

The next round of the grants closes in Herefordshire on Friday March 7 and interested businesses can contact the Economic Development Team on 01432 383633 for further details.