MARKETING agencies are being invited to pitch for the job of promoting Suffolk as a tourism destination.

The successful bidder will have a key role in driving up visitor numbers and increasing tourist spend – currently £1.75billion a year – under a contract starting in June and running through to March 2015.

The contract is being let on behalf of Suffolk County Council, the county’s seven district and borough councils and the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership.

The role will include:

: : Devising and delivering campaigns to market Suffolk as a tourism and cultural destination;

: : Managing the visitsuffolk.com website and social media platforms;

: : Providing research and market intelligence to better inform marketing campaign proposals;

: : Providing a point of contact for tourism enquiries in Suffolk; and

: : Representing the county’s tourism offer at local, regional and national events.

Judy Terry, the county council cabinet member responsible for economic development, said: “We all know that Suffolk is a wonderful and exciting place to visit and spend time with family and friends but we need to shout about it if we’re going to increase the number of tourists visiting.

“Too often Suffolk hides its light under a bushel. This is about being proud of Suffolk and showing people precisely why.

“We’re looking for an organisation that has a lot of new ideas, connections and understands what’s special about our fantastic county so that our local businesses can really make the most of what we have here.”