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.
Destination performance
11.4m
(Visitors Annually)
4m
(70 attractions)
6%
(Overnight Stays)
6,794
(Jobs within the industry)
£507m
(Annual Income)
Latest news
First stage of historic walled garden remodelling nearing completion at Raby Castle
21 Mar 2023
The first stage of a redesign of Raby’s historic Walled Garden is nearing completion, which will see the launch of a grass amphitheatre this summer - the first of its kind in the north of England. A very special element of the Estate’s ambitious development programme known as ‘The Rising’, is the remodelled Walled Garden, […]
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On track for continued customer growth as LNER leads the way
17 Mar 2023
London North Eastern Railway (LNER) continues to lead the way when it comes to passenger growth and usage, topping the table for franchised operators for the seventh consecutive quarter. Between October and December 2022, passenger journeys were at 96 per cent when compared with the same period for 2019, according to new data published today […]
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1950s cinema and shops underway at Beamish Museum
17 Mar 2023
Work is beginning on a cinema, toy shop and electrical shop in Beamish, The Living Museum of the North’s 1950s Town. The museum is recreating The Grand Cinema from Ryhope in Sunderland, where visitors will be able to enjoy a 1950s cinema experience. A toy shop named after the popular Romer Parrish store in Middlesbrough, […]
Read More about 1950s cinema and shops underway at Beamish MuseumSuppliers to industry
Durham Coffee
Ethically sourced speciality coffee with a local twist Durham Coffee is a small family run business and the journey from bean to cup is always a personal process. Having worked as a father-daughter team in the coffee industry for many years now we are proud to introduce you to our unique Durham Heritage Range and […]
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Hewitts Solicitors
Hewitts has served the local community for more than 60 years. As one of the longest established law firms in the North East, our partners, consultants and associates work together in dedicated legal teams. We are an expert in this field. Many people are reluctant to speak to solicitors for a number of reasons but […]
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Stroodles
Stroodles is an Eco Tableware company, famous for its pasta straws, featured on Dragons Den, BBC Good Food, Unilad, and many more. The Stroodles portfolio also includes edible biscuit spoons and stirrers, edible wafer cups, eco wheat bran plates, biscuit bowls and saucers. The Alchemist, de Longhi, Marriott, Hilton and Selfridges are already stroodling Stroodles […]
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The Crafty Monkey Brewery Co
The Crafty Monkey Brewery Co founders are Pat and Gary. Friends and colleagues for over 30 years, they had a dream….to produce a beer the North East would be proud of – and so the Crafty Monkey Brewing Company was born. Our philosophy is simple….We use the finest ingredients and don’t compromise on our brewing […]
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Visit County Durham latest
VCD Blog - Celebrating International Women’s Day
Today (Wednesday 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 […]
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Durham City hosts UK launch of innovative litter app
A mobile app that rewards residents and visitors for picking up litter has been launched in Durham City today (Friday 24 February) as part of the county’s commitment to becoming a sustainable destination.
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North East tourism organisations become first in England to be recognised with new national status
Regional bodies leading on the promotion, marketing and development of the North East’s visitor economy are the first to be recognised by VisitEngland in a government programme to establish a new structure for the tourism industry.
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North East awarded funding to promote the region’s experiences to international visitors
The North East has been awarded a grant from VisitBritain’s GREAT Gateway Innovation Fund to market and promote regional experiences to inbound visitors from the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC).
Read More about North East awarded funding to promote the region’s experiences to international visitorsSocial wall
Supplier Partner Arty Inc. has over 18 years experience within the creative arts and is highly passionate about Graphic Design, Photography, Filmmaking, Video Editing and Animation.
Find out how you could work with them to create bespoke content for your online presence here 👇
...https://www.visitcountydurham.org/supplier/arty-inc/?parent=suppliers-to-industry/
Hear from Durham County Council , Durham University , Redhills Durham Miners Hall and We Are Local on how Place Lab can be a catalyst for change in Durham: The Culture County, as part of the Digital Kick-Off Day for the Creative Bureaucracy Festival, by bringing people, places and ideas together ...to achieve a shared vision for their place.
Register to join the online session on 23 March 👇https://creativebureaucracy.org/digital-kick-off-day/
Don't forget to vote for Place Lab at 👇
https://creativebureaucracy.org/voting/
It’s great to see more exciting developments underway at Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, as part of the multi-million-pound Remaking Beamish project.
Work has begun to create a cinema, toy shop and electrical shop in the museum’s popular 1950s Town.
Read more here 👇 ...
https://www.visitcountydurham.org/news/1950s-cinema-and-shops-underway-at-beamish-museum/
Some nice profile here for our friends at @aucklandproject in Bishop Auckland - all the more reasons to visit the county. @VCDBusiness @ThisisDurham @culturedurham
https://t.co/HYOA8cktCE
We invited Rachel Dixon from @guardian to Durham for a cultural staycation. Read about her stay at @pod_gables and visit to the @aucklandproject attractions here: https://bit.ly/3TtmLNj
Visit County Durham Partners @aucklandproject and @kynrenuk are attending the British Tourism & Travel Show this week at the NEC Birmingham, to showcase attractions to travel trade and group travel organisers.
#BTTS23 @11Arches
Always exciting news across the sector & our Remaking Beamish plans including our fantastic cinema! @Beamish_Museum @alva_uk @VisitEnglandBiz @VCDBusiness @Aimuseums @MuseumsAssoc @ThisisDurham https://t.co/WyMWDBKGtZ
As part of English Tourism Week (17-26 March) visitors are being encouraged to share memories of their favourite days out and holidays in England during Throwback Thursday.
Get on board and encourage your own visitors to share their memories of your business this Thursday (23 March), ...using the #ThrowbackThursday and #EnglishTourismWeek23 hashtags.
Hear from @DurhamCouncil @durham_uni @RedhillsDurham and We Are Local on how #PlaceLab can be a catalyst for change in #Durham
Register to join the online session, part of @CreatBureauFest Digital Kick-Off Day this Thurs 23/03 ▶️https://bit.ly/3FDNsJt
#DurhamCultureCounty