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
17.91m
(Visitors Annually)
4.6m
(75 Attractions)
9%
(Overnight Stays)
11,724
(Jobs Within the Industry)
£1.04bn
(Annual Income)
Latest news
Funding boost for reimagined cultural venue
10 May 2024
A cultural venue that will bring internationally significant exhibitions to County Durham has been awarded £500,000, as work gets underway on site. Durham County Council has secured the grant from Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme to support its plans to reopen the former Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Museum and Art Gallery at Aykley Heads […]
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Raby Castle champions local contractors and heritage skills
9 May 2024
As the ambitious two-year development scheme, The Rising nears completion, Raby Castle has used the North East’s most skilled local contractors and suppliers to complete the new retail, hospitality and events destination. The Rising, a collection of restored heritage buildings, two thoughtfully designed new builds and remodelled walled gardens will offer visitors a unique experience […]
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Meet up and make a difference
8 May 2024
As part of VCD's commitment to deliver more sustainable events and drive regenerative tourism growth, we have introduced a theoretical free place at our training days and events. This entails donating the cost of the day delegate rate and a Supplier Partner stand at each event to the County Durham Community Foundation which manages over 200 charitable […]
Read More about Meet up and make a differenceSuppliers to industry
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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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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Arty, Inc
Gavin Selby - Creative Designer, Photographer and Filmmaker. Gavin has over 18 years experience within the creative arts and is highly passionate about Graphic Design, Photography, Filmmaking, Video Editing and Animation. Trading under the name Arty, Inc. he works closely with local businesses, authorities and groups to create bespoke content for their online presence (Social Media and search […]
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WL Distillery
WL Distillery is a North East based Gin Distillery, combining our passion for gin and the great outdoors by creating authentic tasting gins made with specially selected ingredients. Our recently released First Edition Gin inspired by our distillers Grandads Garden has been crafted to take you on a taste journey of the North East. Combining […]
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Visit County Durham latest
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 […]
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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, […]
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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
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 spendSocial wall
Supplier Partner Grape Software Limited is an innovative food technology company aiming to transform food hygiene inspections in the UK.
Their software, Grape Prepare is a purpose built inspection readiness tool, designed to help food businesses prepare for inspections and achieve a high ...hygiene rating.
Find out how they could help your business here 👇
https://tinyurl.com/42ssxv5a
A reminder that the next Destination Development Partnership update is being held online on Tuesday 14th May at 8:30am.
Hear from Visitor Economy leaders on a range of topics and updates from the programmes being delivered as part of the Destination Development Partnership Pilot.
...Reserve your place here 👇
https://tinyurl.com/4pzf8vee
Have you thought about becoming a partner with Visit County Durham?
Our Partnership brings benefits through promoting and developing any type or size of business.
Don't just take our word for it, take a look at some of our fantastic reviews here 👇
...https://www.visitcountydurham.org/testimonials/
If you would like to know more or sign up, you can contact us here 👇 https://www.visitcountydurham.org/partnership-overview/
The HITS Expo 2024 will be held from the 13th – 14th May 2024 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Newcastle.
This jam-packed 2 day event will be shining the light on the visitor economy as we bring business leaders and the next generation of talent together to discuss the biggest challenges and the ...most exciting opportunities facing the North East's tourism, hospitality, food and drink businesses over the next 10 years.
Incorporating the thrilling Masterchef style North East Chef of the Year and Young Chef of the Year competitions as well as a series of panels, discussions, spotlight talks and engaging supplier and buyer showcases, HITS Expo is a fantastic opportunity to connect with visitor economy professionals spanning the entire sector as well as an opportunity to engage with the next generation of talent.
Find out more here 👇
https://www.fadne.org/hits-expo/
The search is back on for Durham’s Tourism Superstars! 🌟
We are asking for nominations for people working in any part of the visitor economy, who are able to represent their profession.
Find out more and nominate here 👇
...https://www.visitcountydurham.org/durham-tourism-superstar/
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
Calling all County Durham tourism businesses, VisitEngland and the The AA UK 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