People in the South West like visitors and enjoy mixing with them, according to research by South West Tourism.

Malcom Bell, the regional tourist board's chief executive, told delegates at two tourism seminars in the region that 64% of locals claimed that visitors improved their life while only 15% saw them as an irritation.

This friendly welcome was appreciated by visitors who said it was an important factor in choosing a holiday destination. Only choice and quality of accommodation and standards of service were rated more highly, said Mr. Bell.

He was speaking at seminars held in Taunton and Truro on consecutive days entitled "Tourism and hospitality - supporting growth and change" organised by the South West Region of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW) and supported by South West Tourism and the British Association of Hospitality Accountants. The seminars were chaired by Devon-based Ian Graham, principal of The Hotel Solutions Partnership Ltd and a member of the ICAEW Tourism & Hospitality Group steering committee.

Mr Bell said that the success of the region was based on high satisfaction levels particularly amongst returning visitors but tourism businesses should not be complacent.

"Satisfaction is not loyalty and whilst satisfaction does not wane over time, loyalty does," he said.

He pointed out that the South West had to compete against up and coming overseas destinations such as Abu Dhabi, which was currently investing £100 billion in tourism New developments would inevitably raise benchmarks and businesses in the South West should not be complacent.

But, he said, the growth in low-cost air travel also opened new markets for the South West, especially in central Europe.

Businesses providing accommodation had a key role to play in ensuring first-time visitors knew what the region had to offer. If they weren't wow-ed' they might not return.

Leisure specialist Jonathan Rounce, chief executive of The Petersham Group, discussed the secrets of operating a successful visitor attraction citing farm shops, race courses, casinos and museums. Entertainment and choice were important to increasingly discerning customers who demanded quality and value for money, he said.

The organic' revolution meant that people were turning in droves to farm shops. There were now more than 4,000 in the UK with a total turnover of around £1.5 billion. Average turnover was £270,000 and ranged from £100,000 to £5million. Enterprising farm shops also provided a café, which acted as a magnet for customers who might then make impulse' purchases.

Barry Laurie, chairman of the tax committee of the British Association of Hospitality Accountants, outlined recently-announced changes to the tax rules that have underpinned investment in tourism for many years. He suggested that the UK industry would lose more than £15bn in future tax benefit as a result of changes to the Industrial Building Allowance alone.