Media Room
Latest News
All the latest news from the Industry and the Visit County Durham Grapevine newsletter.
Industry
Coastal Survey
21 May 2025
Calling all Durham coast businesses, please take 5-10 minutes to complete the Spring/Summer wave of the National Coastal Tourism Academy's (NCTA) business survey. This wave focuses on performance to date in 2025, future bookings and challenges. All recorded data will be anonymised, and the results...
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Industry
Auckland Palace’s Walled Garden becomes hive of activity
21 May 2025
To mark World Bee Day, 20th May, The Auckland Project has installed a new apiary in the historic 17th-century Walled Garden at Auckland Palace to celebrate the vital role of bees in biodiversity. The installation features three hives, forming part of a wider network of seven hives now buzzing...
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Industry
All Change! arrives at The Story
20 May 2025
A new exhibition arrives at The Story next week, exploring the impact of passenger railways on life in the north east. All Change! is part of the nine-month S&DR200 festival, which launched in March and continues across County Durham and the Tees Valley until November 2025, inspired by the...
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Industry
Durham Brass Festival announces dates for Streets of Brass Weekend, additional line-up including Radio 4 Loose Ends, Brass Tea Dance, Pet Snake, and Brass Boat Cruises
20 May 2025
Today (15th May), Durham Brass Festival is proud to announce a host of fantastic new additions to the already spectacular lineup for this year’s edition that takes place 13-20 July. In a first for the event, Durham Brass Festival hosts Radio 4 Loose Ends on 16th July. Writer and broadcaster...
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Industry
Highest civic honour awarded to Weardale volunteers
19 May 2025
The highest civic honour in County Durham has been bestowed to one of the founders of the Weardale Museum and volunteers who have helped restore the area’s heritage railway line. David Heatherington and the Weardale Railway Trust have been presented with Chairman’s Medals by Durham County...
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Industry
Read all about it: Seven Stories opens doors to sister site, Two Tales in Durham
15 May 2025
Two Tales is officially open on Durham’s high street with an exciting launch weekend for stakeholders, friends, local families and supporters of Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books beginning this Friday 16 May with a welcome to funders and supporters of the project. Seven...
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Industry
Kynren begins work on major show for its time travelling theme park
15 May 2025
Following recent planning approval, development has now begun on one of the flagship experiences within Kynren – The Storied Lands, the UK’s first live-action historical theme park. Set to open in summer 2026 alongside four other monumental shows and immersive experiences, The Lost Feather is...
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Industry
Durham shortlisted for national group travel award
15 May 2025
Durham has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Group Travel World Awards 2025. The county has been chosen as a finalist by Group Travel Organisers in the Group Travel World Club which is made up of people who have visited and enjoyed their trip so much that they have chosen it as a finalist...
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Industry
Tourism’s importance to social cohesion and wellbeing highlighted in new research from VisitEngland
15 May 2025
New research published today by VisitEngland demonstrates the positive cultural and social impacts that tourism has on local communities across the UK. The report - ‘The Social Value of Tourism’ – found significantly higher levels of community pride, sense of wellbeing and social cohesion...
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Industry
Domestic Sentiment Tracker
14 May 2025
VisitEngland's latest Domestic Sentiment Tracker shows that perceptions of the cost of living crisis have significantly worsened, reflecting global uncertainty throughout April with US tariffs. In April 2025, 60% of UK adults felt that the worst of the crisis was still to come, the highest...
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Industry
Attractions Marketing Conference
14 May 2025
This year's National Attractions Marketing Conference takes place on Thursday 5th June at Drayton Manor Theme Park & Resort. The conference programme and its 20 speakers on marketing attractions are featured at www.attractionsmarketing.co.uk. All Visit County Durham Partners can access special...
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Industry
Accommodation Provider Event
14 May 2025
Accommodation providers are invited to attend a familiarisation visit to Auckland Palace, Gardens & Faith Museum on Thursday 22nd May 2025. The day will begin with refreshments at 10am followed by a short tour of Auckland Palace. Guests will have the opportunity to explore The Auckland...
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Industry
Phishing Email Warning
14 May 2025
Several partners have contacted us to advise that they have been receiving emails purporting to be from WordPress, asking the recipient to verify their email address with visitcountydurham.org. This email has not been sent by nor is it associated with Visit County Durham. If you have received an...
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Industry
Durham Fringe Festival returns with its most exciting lineup to date
8 May 2025
Between 23rd and 27th July 2025, Durham Fringe Festival will host a spectacular array of performing arts across nine Durham City Centre venues. Audiences will be invited to explore over 110 unique acts across a programme of 270+ performances. Genres include theatre, music, stand-up comedy, comedy...
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Industry
Walking Month
7 May 2025
May is National Walking Month 2025, a campaign to encourage people across all ages and backgrounds to get outside and embrace the simple, yet profound health benefits of walking. Durham offers a variety of walking routes from the Northern Saints Trails, walks around the North Pennines National...
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