Attractions like the Hadrian's Wall walk have seen more visitors

Regional development agency One NorthEast wants to dissolve the 34-year-old Northumbria Tourist Board (NTB) and set up a new promotional unit.

But the 1,500 small-business members of the NTB say the decision could seriously damage the region's tourism industry.

One NorthEast says it wants to market individual resort destinations, rather than geographic areas, like Northumbria.

It says the relationship with the NTB has broken down.

Now the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents more than 1,200 landowners in the region, says it wants to help settle the row.

Douglas Chalmers, regional director of the CLA, said: "We are at a time when the whole economy of the rural North East faces tremendous changes and is subject to an increasing range of outside influences over which it has no control.

Economic benefits

"The tourism industry has an extremely important part to play in giving this region a positive and prosperous outlook.

"As a national organisation representing the whole breadth and depth of the rural economy we cannot stand by and see this industry struggle.

"The CLA is therefore offering its expertise and resources to bring together both parties in this dispute.

"I hope to arrange an initial meeting as soon as practically possible; we have national, regional and local staff and members with political, economic and tourist expertise to help negotiate a successful outcome."

One NorthEast and the NTB have yet to respond to the offer.