It may only be a few weeks since the summer season drew to a close but the tourism team at Tendring District Council (TDC) is already looking ahead to ways of pulling in the visitors next year.

Staff are busy preparing the Essex Sunshine Coast Holiday Guide 2009.

This year the full quota of 25,000 guides were dispatched to all areas of the UK and to Europe on demand.

The publication is free of charge and helps attract thousands of people to the Tendring District and to come and enjoy the wide variety of attractions on offer.

It aims to give visitors a complete holiday planner - providing the latest information on places to stay, where to eat, and ideas for great days out.

Sarah Daniells, TDC's Tourism and Marketing Officer, said the guide was a good opportunity to promote the District far and wide.

"The take-up for this year's guide was incredible and we only have a handful of copies left. We are confident it will be the same for next year," she said.

Information contained in the guide goes onto TDC's tourism website, www.essex-sunshine-coast.org.uk

In addition to this the Council has an events guide for the District via the What's On area - which will promote a full range of events taking place in Tendring in 2009.

Anyone can go to the website, or alternatively drop their poster or information into the Tourist Information Centre (TIC) at Clacton Town Hall or the TIC in Harwich at Iconfield Park.

A special initiative is also being laid on for accommodation providers later this year.

There will be a free presentation to them from Visit Britain, which carries out national assessments on accommodation. It will be staged in the Essex Hall, Clacton Town Hall, on December 10 starting at 2pm and those providers interested in attending should contact the Clacton TIC on 01255 686633.

Accommodation providers who want to advertise in the holiday guide should contact Sarah Daniells on 01255 686654.