Mr Barker was speaking at a meeting of disgruntled accommodation providers who are protesting against Rother proposals to reduce the tourist booklet to a single sheet of A4.

He was told the move would save the council £9,000 .

The MP told Friday's meeting at the Dunselma Guest House, people had to understand the authority needs to save money, but pledged to speak with council leaders.

The meeting of the Bexhill Hospitality Association was also attended by Rother cabinet member for tourism, Deirdre Williams, and Bexhill Chamber of Commerce and Tourism president, Ainsley Gill.

Mr Barker said: "I would like to hear what the council has to say about this, because certainly, in the context of the budget, £9,000 doesn't seem a huge amount, but that said you need to understand the huge
budget pressures Rother District Council is under.

"But from what you have said it does seem counter intuitive. If you are not getting the message out there, how are people going to know?

"Even in these days of the internet there is still no substitute for good old fashioned hand literature. That is still essential. The internet is great and a wonderful accompaniment to these things, but it is not a replacement for an informative, well designed piece of literature.

"I will write to the leader of the council, urging him to intervene in the reducing of the guide."

Accommodation providers also told Mr Barker about the lack of adequate signage for the town and their anger at not having a dedicated tourist information centre.

They also criticised the council's online 'destination management system', which has given no bookings to association members, and plans to install a touch-screen kiosk in the De La Warr Pavilion.

Mr Barker added: "I totally agree with you that Bexhill needs its accommodation providers and its tourism, more than accommodation providers need Bexhill.

"One day you could decide to sell your businesses and go somewhere else. Bexhill isn't going anywhere. I think Bexhill is a wonderful, undiscovered jewel, but if it stays undiscovered for much longer it will not be a jewel. You cannot just rely on the people in this room to make sure the message gets out."

Mr Barker advised audience members to send him a 'top ten list' of 'relatively quick fix' things to improve tourism in the town, and pledged to examine them.