Media Room
Latest News
All the latest news from the Industry and the Visit County Durham Grapevine newsletter.
Industry
Time to swan about at Ramside Treehouses
9 Aug 2023
The continued success of a County Durham hotel’s unique treehouses has led to the creation of two new properties. Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa has just unveiled Swan and Kingfisher, two additional glass fronted A frame house, which represents a further £500,000 investment at the luxury...
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Industry
Raby Castle's 'Rising' development marks major milestone as work commences on new panoramic café restaurant
1 Aug 2023
Raby Castle’s ‘Rising’ development has marked a major milestone as work commences on the estate’s new Vinery Café Restaurant. The new eatery, a stylish and airy recreation of the Victorian glasshouse which once stood in the same spot, will offer panoramic views to the castle and parkland...
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Industry
New museum opening this October to explore encounters, experiences and expressions of faith in Britain
24 Jul 2023
It’s been 10 years in the making, and countless challenges have been encountered along the way, but we’ve kept the faith, and now it’s finally ready – the Faith Museum opens to the public on 7 October 2023. The Faith Museum explores the myriad ways in which faith has shaped lives and...
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Industry
Region celebrates £5.4bn tourism milestone and bold ambitions for visitor economy
24 Jul 2023
The tourism sector in the North East is now worth £5.4bn, the first time it has exceeded £5bn since 2019. Tourism is the fourth largest sector in the North East and is England’s third largest employer. Latest STEAM* figures for 2022 have revealed that the tourism sector in the North East is...
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Visit County Durham
A message from Visit County Durham's managing director, Michelle Gorman.
20 Jul 2023
I hope you are having a good week and are set for the busy summer ahead. I am sure many of you will have already heard the fantastic news about how tourism contributed more than £1 billion to Durham's economy for the first time ever in 2022. For while visitor numbers have not yet reached […]
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Industry
Prince Bishops Place
20 Jul 2023
Citrus Group, owners of Prince Bishops Place, is keen to hear your views on proposals for the regeneration of the shopping centre. Their exciting redevelopment plans seek to broaden the centre's offer and secure its future viability.
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Industry
Attractions survey
20 Jul 2023
The 2022 Annual Attractions Survey results have been published on the VisitEngland website, including the full trends report and individual attraction listings and top 20 lists - the lists of English attractions included in the report only feature those that chose to participate and agree to make...
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Industry
Tourism Awards masterclass
20 Jul 2023
Thinking of entering the 2024 North East England Tourism Awards and want to get your application noticed? Join tourism industry expert Nell Barrington for a masterclass on Tuesday 25th July or Monday 14th August. Spaces are limited, so sign up now.
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Industry
Ai Weiwei among five world-renowned artists announced for Lumiere 2023, the UK’s light art biennial
20 Jul 2023
Lumiere, the UK’s light art biennial, has announced five world-renowned artists who will exhibit their work at this year’s event in Durham from the 16th – 19th November 2023. For four nights only, the city will be transformed into a nocturnal art experience with spectacular light...
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Visit County Durham
Penny farthing riding TikTok sensation crowned Durham Tourism Superstar 2023
19 Jul 2023
A museum engager who has devoted almost 40 years to ensuring visitors have an unforgettable experience has been crowned Durham Tourism Superstar 2023.
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Industry
Changing Places
14 Jul 2023
Over a quarter of a million people cannot use standard accessible toilets, these needs are met by Changing Places toilets. On Wednesday 19th July, the Changing Places Awareness Day takes place. This day celebrates everything the Changing Places campaign has achieved so far, as well as raising...
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Industry
Day Out with the Kids
14 Jul 2023
Day Out with the Kids (DOWTK) has teamed up with Tourism Exchange Great Britain (TXGB) to offer families a seamless ticket buying experience on their site. Boasting over 35 million annual website visitors and 10 million Google impressions per year, DOWTK is one of the UK's leading platforms...
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Industry
Rural Prosperity Fund
14 Jul 2023
Durham County Council is inviting organisations to apply for funding of projects under the Rural England Prosperity Fund. Capital projects to extend, restore or refurbish tourist assets and infrastructure in order to enhance visitor experiences are welcomed. £600k is available and it is expected...
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Visit County Durham
Showcasing Durham at the Great Yorkshire Show
11 Jul 2023
Visit County Durham and its partners are promoting the county as the ultimate destination for days out and staycations at the 164th Great Yorkshire Show this week.
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Visit County Durham
How's business?
5 Jul 2023
Please spare 10 minutes of your time to complete our latest How's Business survey. The results are important for us to see what is happening across the visitor economy and to analyse where there are key themes and issues. The results of the survey help form our future activity and to see how we can...
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