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.

Events & Training

Events & Training

Sign up to ongoing training programmes and conferences.

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

Durham’s Fine Dining Restaurant Faru Is Named A Michelin Favourite

30 Nov 2023

Durham’s fine dining restaurant Faru has been named as a Michelin favourite. The restaurant, on Silver Street, has made the November list of the Michelin Inspectors’ Favourite New Restaurants, which was published on the Michelin Guide’s website today. Owners Jake and Laura Siddle – former head chef and front-of-house-manager at the Michelin-starred House of Tides, […]

Read More about Durham’s Fine Dining Restaurant Faru Is Named A Michelin Favourite

Methodist Tapestries project

29 Nov 2023

Tell your guests and visitors about the latest Methodist Tapestries Collection Exhibition being held on 9th December between 11am and 4pm at the Chapel of St Mary the Less, St John's College, Durham City. The tapestries project, co-ordinated by Weardale Museum, features local, regional, national and international stories around the history and heritage of Methodism.

Read More about Methodist Tapestries project

Skills Survey extension

29 Nov 2023

The Destination North East England commissioned Skills Survey has been extended to Thursday 7th December. It is important that businesses across the region take part to help us gain a better understanding of the complex issues and challenges relating to workforce recruitment and retention. The results of the survey will inform interventions and initiatives to […]

Read More about Skills Survey extension

Suppliers to industry

East Durham College

East Durham College

At East Durham College we provide an entire suite of services aimed at improving the quality of your workforce and helping your company to function better. And the great news for your business is that we can access funds directly to reduce your training costs. Education and training, as you would expect, lie at the […]

Read More about East Durham College
La Chocolatrice

La Chocolatrice

There are two sides to our business. We make a beautiful range of delicious handmade chocolate products and we also teach chocolate making workshops.   We currently have two sites; our Chocolate Factory and Shop in Coxhoe, Co. Durham, and our beautiful Chocolate Studio in Newcastle City Centre.

Read More about La Chocolatrice
The Holiday Home Housekeeper

The Holiday Home Housekeeper

The Holiday Home Housekeeper provides holiday home and holiday cottage housekeeping services across North Yorkshire, County Durham and Northumberland. Our experienced team have been cleaning holiday homes for over ten years and we’re passionate about providing the very best service to our holiday homeowners and our guests. From crisp white linen and towels, to industry […]

Read More about The Holiday Home Housekeeper
Cacao Brew

Cacao Brew

Experience chocolate a new way… brewed!  Cacao Brew uses whole organic cacao beans to create a beverage similar to coffee or loose-leaf tea. By roasting and grinding the beans, it offers a rich, dark chocolate flavour with variations in taste based on the origin of the cacao beans used. Visit our website to learn more […]

Read More about Cacao Brew

Visit County Durham latest

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
Campaign encourages visitors to ‘Do Durham Differently’

Campaign encourages visitors to ‘Do Durham Differently’

Durham’s unique and diverse experiences, world-class attractions and eclectic accommodation are the inspiration behind a new campaign aimed at boosting the county’s visitor economy.

Read More about Campaign encourages visitors to ‘Do Durham Differently’
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
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.

Read More about Durham’s visitor economy hits £1 billion milestone

Social wall

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

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

To mark the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, an event which began a global social and economic boom, a year-long programme of celebration will take place throughout 2025.

And with just under two year’s to go, a new website has been launched to share news on the ...exciting programme, and how to get involved 👇
https://www.sdr200.co.uk/

#SDR

The next industry update on the Destination Development Partnership pilot is on 12 October, 08:30-09:15
Find out the latest progress made and how tourism businesses in the North East can benefit from this £2.25m pilot.

Register here 👇
https://tinyurl.com/ypyz4bj4

Having your event listed on Thisisdurham.com is valuable exposure to thousands of visitors to Durham.
If you have an event or an exhibition that you’d like us to include in our Week Ahead events listing guide you can submit this easily here 👇
https://tinyurl.com/545fznfk

Our Jobs & Skills section offers advice on how to recruit effectively, what training opportunities are available, along with best practice examples.

Find out more here 👇
https://www.visitcountydurham.org/recruitment-and.../

Our Meet in Durham website targets the business events and conference market. The website presents the county's venues, accommodation and unmissable delegate experiences through a single dedicated platform.

You can view the site here 👇
...https://www.thisisdurham.com/meet-in-durham

To get involved, email us 👉 info@meetindurham.org

📣 This week's Grapevine is out now, read the latest about-
▪️ Astro Tourism Workshop
▪️ Lumiere tickets on sale
▪️ Tourism Sentiment
▪️ Save the date - Industry Conference

Find out more here 👇
https://tinyurl.com/2bjjm7pn