Destination management organisation

Welcome to Visit County Durham - the tourism management agency for County Durham which works on behalf of businesses and public agencies to support the growth and development of the county's visitor economy.

Visit County Durham has strategic responsibility for tourism and performs the functions of destination management and marketing in the county. Many others are involved in delivering a vibrant visitor economy, one organisation cannot do it alone, which is why we are a partnership.

Our aim is to place the visitor at the heart of everything we do.

Durham’s visitor economy hits £1 billion milestone

Durham’s visitor economy hits £1 billion milestone

Tourism contributed more than £1 billion to Durham’s economy for the first time ever in 2022, the latest industry research has revealed.

Tourism Superstar Nominations

Tourism Superstar Nominations

Applications are now open for Durham Tourism Superstar 2024. Help us to showcase the very best visitor welcome and customer service.

Join Us

From attractions and accommodation providers to places to eat, things to do and local suppliers, Visit County Durham Partnership brings benefits through promoting and developing any type or size of business.

Join Us

Filming Friendly Durham

Supporting production companies, filmmakers and photographers, make Durham your next destination.

Filming Friendly Durham
Business Events and Conference Market

Business Events and Conference Market

The county’s new website for conference, meeting and event venues.

Find a Supplier

Find a Supplier

Visit County Durham work with a number of Supplier Partner’s who offer services which are directly relevant to tourism businesses.

Destination performance

Visitors
Visitors in Durham

17.91m

(Visitors Annually)

Visits to Attractions
Attractions in Durham

4.6m

(75 Attractions)

Staying Visitors
Accommodation in Durham

9%

(Overnight Stays)

Employment
Tourism employment in Durham

11,724

(Jobs Within the Industry)

Visitor Economy
Durhams Visitor economy

£1.04bn

(Annual Income)

Latest news

Day Visits Survey Results

27 Mar 2024

VisitEngland has published the 2023 results for the Great Britain Day Visits Survey. The survey shows that there were one billion day visits in England in 2023, up 8% vs 2022. Tourism spend was also up by 15% on 2022, with £44.4 billion spent in 2023. 

Read More about Day Visits Survey Results

Durham Pocket Guide 2024

27 Mar 2024

The Durham Pocket Guide 2024 is now available to pre-order. 125,000 copies will be distributed across the region encouraging visitors to stay longer and explore further. To order copies for your business, email visitor@thisisdurham.com

Read More about Durham Pocket Guide 2024

Welcome to Durham

27 Mar 2024

The Welcome to Durham training course gives people practical and immediately usable skills that can make the difference between a visitor being satisfied, and a visitor being made to feel special. Our next Welcome to Durham course is being held at Bishop Auckland Town Hall on Wednesday 24th April from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Cost to attend for […]

Read More about Welcome to Durham

Suppliers to industry

DJM Financial Planning

DJM Financial Planning

Based in Durham, I work with professionals, business owners and families to help achieve financial goals and maximise tax efficiency. Using a holistic approach, I aim to remove the hassle of organising your finances and simplify the seemingly complex. Everyone deserves to understand their financial circumstances and have peace of mind for the future. We […]

Read More about DJM Financial Planning
Northern Stores & Deli

Northern Stores & Deli

Welcome to Northern Stores & Deli, your gateway to the thriving artisan food and drink scene in County Durham. As a small, community-driven interest company, we take pride in promoting over 100 local businesses and providing them with a route to market that they might not normally have access to. At Northern Stores & Deli, […]

Read More about Northern Stores & Deli
Castle Bank Butchers Stanhope

Castle Bank Butchers Stanhope

Jim Higginson opened his first shop at 3 Castle Bank, Tow Law, County Durham on Monday 4th September 1978 and in the years since has expanded the company to the six outlets that form Castle Bank Butchers today. We first branched out from our Tow Law outlet in the early 1980s to the picturesque Weardale town […]

Read More about Castle Bank Butchers Stanhope
New College Durham

New College Durham

New College Durham has over 50 different higher education and professional qualifications in a diverse range of subjects. We deliver these programmes in addition to other professional training options and qualifications to support you in the development of your whole organisation. Enhancing the qualifications and potential of your existing employees is an ideal way of […]

Read More about New College Durham

Visit County Durham latest

VCD Blog - Celebrating International Women’s Day 2024

VCD Blog - Celebrating International Women’s Day 2024

Today (Friday 8 March) is International Women’s Day, a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It is a chance to reflect on the remarkable feats of women, past and present, while also recognising the amazing women we encounter in our own personal and professional lives. Ultimately, International Women’s Day […]

Read More about VCD Blog - Celebrating International Women’s Day 2024
VCD Blog - Working together for Durham and the North East

VCD Blog - Working together for Durham and the North East

At Visit County Durham we are proud to be a part of a proactive network of regional partners working together to promote and develop Durham and North East England as destinations. As one of the three Local Visitor Economy Partnerships piloting England’s first Destination Development Partnership, we work closely with NewcastleGateshead Initiative and Visit Northumberland, […]

Read More about VCD Blog - Working together for Durham and the North East
A destination for all: Accessibility takes centre stage at tourism conference

A destination for all: Accessibility takes centre stage at tourism conference

Ensuring an excellent welcome for all visitors was the key theme of Visit County Durham’s 2023 Industry Conference.

Read More about A destination for all: Accessibility takes centre stage at tourism conference
Research reveals Memorable Moments marketing campaign generated millions in visitor spend

Research reveals Memorable Moments marketing campaign generated millions in visitor spend

Visit County Durham’s national destination marketing campaign, Memorable Moments, generated £86.6 million in visitor spend, research has revealed.

Read More about Research reveals Memorable Moments marketing campaign generated millions in visitor spend

Social wall

📣 This week's Grapevine is out now, read the latest about-
▪️ Partnership Renewals
▪️ Welcome to Durham
▪️ Durham Pocket Guide 2024
▪️ Day Visits Survey Results

Find out more here 👇
https://tinyurl.com/msvka39a

County Durham and Newcastle will join forces to fly the flag for the North East at a forthcoming trade conference attended by major developers and investors.

Durham County Council will be joining representatives from Invest Newcastle to exhibit at the UK Real Estate & Infrastructure ...Investment Forum (UKREiiF), which takes place in Leeds in May.

Read more here 👇
https://www.visitcountydurham.org/news/north-easts-world-class-investment-opportunities-to-go-before-a-global-audience-at-ukreiif/

Over half of young people leave school without any work experience and you can help to change this.
Open your doors to meaningful work experience with Speakers ForSchools.
Inspire students to explore the world of work and attract future talent.

Speakers for Schools is working ...with school and colleges across the country, find out more from Helen, North East lead via 👇
helen.inness@speakersforschools.org

The Welcome to Durham training course gives people practical and immediately usable skills that can make the difference between a visitor being satisfied, and a visitor being made to feel special.
The course focusses upon customer service skills for the hospitality industry and provides an ...overview of the tourism product the county has to offer.

9:30 – 4:30 on Wednesday 24th April 2024 at Bishop Auckland Town Hall
Cost to attend for VCD partners is £15 and non-partners £30.

Find out more here 👇
https://www.visitcountydurham.org/welcome-to-durham/

Book a place by emailing 👉 lucy.wearne@visitcountydurham.org

Calling all County Durham tourism businesses, VisitEngland and the AA have launched their modernised Quality Assessment schemes, including a new Visitor Ready scheme.

You can learn more about the Visitor Ready scheme and apply here 👇 https://visitorready.com

Weardale Railway is thrilled to announce the successful completion of the Waybeams Renewal Project, marking a significant milestone for the heritage railway company. The project, which commenced on 26th February, has been finished ahead of schedule, ensuring smooth operations in time for the Easter... holidays.

Read more here 👇
https://www.visitcountydurham.org/news/waybeams-renewal-project-sucessfully-completed-ahead-of-schedule-22-march-stanhope-weardale/

Make sure you never miss out on the latest industry news with our Wednesday Grapevine e-newsletter.

Sign up here 👇
https://tinyurl.com/27h89c8v

VisitEngland’s Easter Trip Tracker survey, published today, indicates that 11 million Brits are definitely planning an overnight holiday trip in the UK for the Easter weekend, bringing an estimated £3.2 billion boost to the economy.

The figures show a significant increase on last ...year’s Easter Trip Tracker when 6.5 million Brits had definitely planned an overnight holiday trip in the UK for the long weekend.

Read more here 👇
https://www.visitcountydurham.org/news/11-million-brits-plan-a-uk-holiday-trip-for-the-easter-weekend-bringing-a-3-2-billion-economic-boost/

Connect with top local visitor economy & hospitality suppliers!
Join us at this one-day event & look forward to:
🤝 Meeting suppliers from County Durham
💰 Lowering your supply chain costs
🌱 Boosting sustainability & diversity
⏰ Saving you time meeting... multiple suppliers in one day

Register now! 👇
https://www.durhammtb.co.uk/

#Durhammtb #HospitalityEvent #CountyDurham