Louise Reynolds, project manager for the Broads Boating Holidays Project, said: "I think this is the first time that representatives from riverside pubs and the hire boat industry have got together in one room."

She added: "I hope that it will open up communication between these key tourism providers and highlight areas where we can work to support each other to provide a quality holiday in this beautiful protected wetland."

The Broads Authority says floating tourism is difficult to manage. Once holidaymakers have left their yard, boatyard owners are largely unable to control the quality of holiday their customers receive and are dependent on people running pubs and other tourist facilities.

People from the waiter to the band-player, the post office clerk to the boat engineer, all play key roles in giving a face to the Broads as a place to come on holiday, says the authority.

The demand for Broads boating holidays has suffered a 4% average annual decline for the last 20 years, with the number of hire boats halved since 1987.