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All the latest news from the Industry and the Visit County Durham Grapevine newsletter.

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Format: 29-12-2023

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Format: 30-12-2023

Industry

Park Head Hotel serving up gold star stays

12 Nov 2024

Park Head Hotel, in County Durham, is preparing a warm North East welcome this festive season after achieving a 75% quality rating from Visit England. The hotel’s second visit from the national assessors of quality in tourism and destinations has revealed the Park Head Hotel have made...

Industry

Neapolitan nativity to set the festive scene at Faith Museum

11 Nov 2024

A museum in Bishop Auckland will be the only place in the UK where people can see an elaborate 18th-century Neapolitan nativity scene this festive season. The Faith Museum, part of The Auckland Project, will present the Italian-made nativity scene for a limited time this Christmas. Complete with...

Industry

Raby Castle's new exhibition awarded national accolade

11 Nov 2024

A new exhibition featuring the voice of BBC Countryfile presenter Matt Baker MBE, has won a prestigious national award by destination marketing organisation VisitEngland. Raby Castle, Park and Gardens in County Durham, launched the exhibition within its Grade II* listed newly-renovated...

Visit County Durham

Looking to the future: AI and data information takes centre stage at Visit County Durham's annual conference

8 Nov 2024

Looking to the future with knowledge and some help from modern technology was the theme of this year’s Visit County Durham annual conference which took place on Wednesday 6 November.

Industry

Trader Applications

6 Nov 2024

Bishop Auckland Food Festival will return on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th April, attracting thousands of visitors to the town for a weekend full of fun and food. Trader applications are now open for 2025 and vendors are being encouraged to express their interest early to ensure they do not miss...

Industry

County Durham’s Into the Light initiative announces first wave of creative commissions

4 Nov 2024

Twenty creative practitioners will have the opportunity to bring their work to life in County Durham, thanks to £70,000 of new commissions to enhance cultural participation in the county. The innovative ‘Cultivate Commissions’ project offers a springboard to enable creative practitioners...

Industry

New theatre company launches in Horden with talent from County Durham

4 Nov 2024

A new theatre group based in East Durham has launched with individuals from County Durham to form its company. Ensemble ‘84, a pioneering theatre company based in Horden, has hired 15 dedicated individuals across County Durham to undergo a paid, intensive training programme to become professional...

Industry

New Local Tourism Award Categories

4 Nov 2024

Hot on the heels of the North East England Tourism Awards shortlist reveal last week, Destination North East England is excited to officially launch three new local categories for the 2025 awards: The Rising Star Award, Volunteer of the Year and Event or Festival of the Year. Unlike the core...

Industry

Accessibility Questionnaires

4 Nov 2024

VisitEngland has published free questionnaires to help tourism product distributors and individual businesses to identify and promote the key accessibility features in their tourism venues. Providing accessibility information can help tap into the Purple Pound market, with 95% of disabled people...

Visit County Durham

A message from Visit County Durham's managing director, Michelle Gorman

4 Nov 2024

2024 has been a fantastic year for the county, and now our focus moves to the year ahead, and how we can support businesses to continue to succeed and grow the value of the visitor economy beyond the current record £1.23bn. Visit County Durham’s annual Autumn Conference, taking place on 6...

Industry

New exhibition gives a voice to children from the past, present and future

4 Nov 2024

Fascinating untold stories of children from County Durham’s past will be the focus of a new exhibition curated by young people. ‘Welcome to our County: The Children of Yesterday and Tomorrow’ has been devised and created by Durham Youth Council and opens on Saturday 2 November at The Story...

Industry

Bishop Auckland is Aglow with the ultimate festive experience

4 Nov 2024

A sell-out Christmas light trail that dazzled visitors to Bishop Auckland last year, is returning this November and December with a range of new installations and updated route, complemented by a new indoor festive event, Christmas at the Palace. AGLOW at Auckland Palace, organised by...

Industry

Bishop Auckland attraction earns ultimate tourism accolade

25 Oct 2024

The Auckland Project in County Durham has achieved the highest rating from VisitEngland in its ‘Visitor Attraction Accolades for 2023-2024'. The Bishop Auckland collection of attractions attained ‘Gold’ after its Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme assessment, which is awarded to places...

Industry

Framing fashion: Art and inspiration from a private collection of Vivienne Westwood is open at The Bowes Museum

25 Oct 2024

Experience a golden decade of design with only-to-be-seen-here clothing from the late designer set among never-before-shown Museum objects.This unique show features some of Westwood’s most recognisable creations from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, loaned to the Barnard Castle Museum by the...

Industry

Dates announced for Bishop Auckland Food Festival 2025

24 Oct 2024

Food fans are encouraged to save the date for the return of one of the region’s biggest food festivals. Durham County Council has confirmed Bishop Auckland Food Festival will return to the town on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 April. Each year the two-day event attracts thousands of visitors for a...