Visit County Durham
Visit County Durham (VCD) is the destination management organisation for County Durham and one of a portfolio of nationally supported, strategic, and high-performing accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnerships. We provide strong local leadership and governance, and are committed to the promotion, management, and development of County Durham as a great place to live, work, visit and do business.
Visit County Durham works in partnership locally, regionally, and nationally on shared priorities and targets. Our mission is to support and grow the visitor economy through robust destination management, strong stakeholder relationships and clear planning.
Our vision is to create the conditions for our residents, businesses, and the environment to benefit from sustainable growth in our visitor economy. By supporting and marketing our distinctive heritage, landscapes, culture and warm welcome, we will grow both day and overnight visits and make County Durham a compelling, global destination for tourism, culture, and business.
Destination performance
20.15m
(Visitors Annually)
6.5m
(75 Attractions)
8%
(Overnight Stays)
13,178
(Jobs Within the Industry)
£1.23bn
(Annual Income)
Latest news
Julia Handelman-Smith named new Programme Director of Into the Light
14 Oct 2024
Into the Light is pleased to announce the appointment of Julia Handelman-Smith as its new Programme Director. Julia is joining Into the Light, a place-based creative collaboration that will drive long-lasting growth in County Durham by empowering communities, inspiring children and young people, enhancing the skills of the cultural workforce and breaking down barriers to […]
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Spanish partners receive warm welcome to County Durham
10 Oct 2024
Representatives from Spain have been welcomed to County Durham this week. Durham County Council has been working with A Coruña Provincial Council in north west Spain for a number of years now. The region-to-region partnership aims to promote the English Way, or Camino Ingles, pilgrimage route and Northern Saints Trails. Highlighting the connections between County […]
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Purple Tuesday Event
9 Oct 2024
Purple Tuesday is a global, social movement for improving the customer experience for people with access needs. Join us on 12th November for Destination North East England's Purple Tuesday event at Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne. Learn about how the regional Everybody Welcome programme can support your accessibility journey and hear from local businesses who […]
Read More about Purple Tuesday EventSuppliers to industry
Climb & Conquer
Climb & Conquer are a county Durham based specialist marketing agency, focusing on getting websites to the top of Google with SEO and creating profitable advertising with Google Ads management services. The company currently serves over 50 clients within and outside of the UK - covering a wide range of industries. The agency is a […]
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Mapp’s Mortgage & Insurance Ltd
For 30 years, Mapps have been providing expert advice on mortgages, protection and insurance to both businesses and private clients across County Durham. Based in Crook, we are a family owned business headed up by brother and sister team Peter Mapp and Vivienne Page who combine friendly service with unrivalled industry knowledge to find you […]
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Durham Mustard
England’s first smooth dry mustard was developed by Mrs Clements of Durham in 1720. You may associate Norfolk with mustard; however, it was here in Durham where dry mustard powder was originally created. Anya Kirkby, owner of Durham Mustard, is bringing Durham Mustard back to the region with her background in agriculture and research experience […]
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n-gage.io
The all-in-one, cloud based attraction management software and audience mobile app, helping the global attraction, leisure & entertainment industry to enhance audience engagement, gain valuable insights & drive revenues. Built from the ground up for the experience economy, the n-gage.io platform and mobile visitor app is helping attractions of all sizes and types to simplify their approach […]
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Visit County Durham latest
Durham and Spain lead the way in walking route partnership
The partnership between Durham and north west Spain strengthened this week, as representatives from A Coruña Provincial Council visited the county. The region-to-region partnership, which has been in place for several years, aims to promote the English Way, or Camino Ingles, pilgrimage route and the Northern Saints Trails. Highlighting the connections between County Durham and […]
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VCD Blog - A summer of success
As the signs of autumn begin to show the Visit County Durham team is reflecting on a summer that has seen a number of successful activities take place, driving visitor numbers, supporting partners and raising the county’s profile in the UK and overseas. The team kicked off the summer with a trip to North Yorkshire […]
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Boost for Durham as new developments drive growth in the visitor economy
Latest tourism figures show a major boost for Durham’s economy as the county builds on its bumper £1bn milestone achieved in 2022, with new attractions playing a key role in helping the county reach a new record.
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Latest tourism figures for Durham build on bumper £1bn milestone
The latest STEAM* figures, which calculate the volume and value of the county’s visitor economy, show that Durham has continued to build on the bumper £1bn milestone achieved in 2022, with results showing expenditure rose by 18.8% in 2023, to £1.23bn. Overall, 20.15 million people visited the county, an increase of 12.5%. Durham also recorded […]
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