ANNUAL events and businesses need to make the most of the Olympic opportunity and do all they can to tempt tourists to Worcestershire, according to Malvern’s MP.

Harriett Baldwin said she wants to raise the profile of important tourism businesses to encourage foreign and domestic visitors to see more of the countryside beyond the confines of London’s celebrations.

More than 13 per cent of the local workforce is employed in the tourism sector so Mrs Baldwin, who represents West Worcestershire, said: “We must all do what we can to make sure Worcestershire is on the map and gets its fair share of visitors during what we hope will be a busy summer.

“We have many popular events as diverse as the Three Counties Show, Upton’s Jazz Festival, Tenbury’s Applefest and Pershore’s Plum Festival.

“We have a great opportunity to promote the area and ensure that people visit us – and return for many years to come.

“I will be working with my colleagues in Government and locally to try and encourage visitors to travel beyond the Cotswolds and across the county.

“The tourism sector is crucial to the success of towns across my constituency and I will be working with local authorities and tourism associations to see what we can do early next year to get our local businesses fit for success.”