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

Europe’s largest collection of historic rail vehicles assembled at Locomotion

15 Mar 2024

Locomotion in Shildon, County Durham is to undertake the museum’s biggest ever rail shunt to create Europe’s largest undercover display of historic rail vehicles. Managed by specialist teams from Locomotion and the National Railway Museum, the shunt will see 46 vehicles (and one road vehicle) moved carefully inside the newly constructed £8m New Hall. Locomotion […]

Read More about Europe’s largest collection of historic rail vehicles assembled at Locomotion

Hotel Occupancy

13 Mar 2024

Hotel Room Occupancy in England for January 2024 continues to show growth for North East England. Overall, room occupancy was 1% up on January 2022, and on a par with 2019. The North East England recorded the highest growth for January at 5%.

Read More about Hotel Occupancy

A66 Project approval

13 Mar 2024

On 7 March 2024, the Secretary of State for Transport approved the Development Consent Order for the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project. This means National Highways now has permission to dual 18 miles of single carriageway between Penrith and Scotch Corner. 

Read More about A66 Project approval

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.

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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

Take a look at our World Heritage Site Toolkit to find out how your business can use the destination to your advantage 👇
https://www.visitcountydurham.org/business-support-toolkits/

Visit County Durham hosted a Star Gazing familiarisation visit for businesses to help them to understand the logistics for star gazing visitors at Dark Sky Discovery sites and a tour of the night sky.

The tour was partnered with Neill from Go Stargazing and the High Force Hotel and ...Waterfall hosted a well needed refreshment break during the coldest night since January 2019!

Thank you to Haystax Inclusive Farm Experience and Lodges, The Saxon Inn, Escomb, East Durham College, Gardenside Lodge, @JasmineCottage and The Ash Tree for joining us.

Visit County Durham has launched a new toolkit for businesses as part of our latest national destination marketing campaign. The toolkit for 'Do Durham Differently' includes images, copy and a social media guide, providing businesses with the assets they need to get involved, and to ...support the destination by sharing campaign content through their own channels.

View the toolkit here 👇
https://www.visitcountydurham.org/national-destination.../

Advertising sales are now open for the 2024 edition of the Durham Pocket Guide.
With over 100,000 copies distributed at hundreds of key locations across the region, and available to download from thisisdurham.com, the publication is cost effective and proven to influence users to visit ...attractions and different areas of the county.

Find out more here 👇
https://www.visitcountydurham.org/official-visitor-guide/

The next English Tourism Week (ETW) will take place 15-24th March 2024.
ETW highlights the importance, value and vast contribution the sector makes to the UK economy. The week provides an essential opportunity to raise the awareness of the visitor economy to key stakeholders.

Find ...out more here 👇
https://www.visitbritain.org/working-us/english-tourism-week

Supplier Partner Durham Coffee Roasters are committed to ethically sourced speciality coffee and the relationships they build along the way.
They love sharing their enthusiasm and knowledge and will provide you with all the support you need to get the best out of their coffee and deliver an ...exceptional cup of coffee your customers will want to come back for.

Find out more about becoming a wholesale customer here 👇
https://tinyurl.com/hnamm55d