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Latest News
All the latest news from the Industry and the Visit County Durham Grapevine newsletter.
Industry
Raby schools competition
9 Mar 2022
To inspire the next generation of budding designers and engineers, Raby Castle has launched a competition encouraging local schools to design their own adventure playground. The prize for the talented winner and their whole class is exclusive access to The Plotters' Forest, before it opens to the...
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Visit County Durham
Showcasing the county
9 Mar 2022
Visit County Durham will be attending and promoting the county at the travel industry's leading media event, International Media Marketplace (IMM), being held at the QEII Centre, London on 14th and 15th March. IMM is a fantastic way to meet travel media representatives and a great opportunity for...
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Visit County Durham
Welcome Hannah!
2 Mar 2022
The Bowes Museum has announced that Hannah Fox will take up the role of Director in May 2022. Hannah brings a wealth of experience to the Museum combining cross-sector knowledge, together with a passion for enabling access to museums for all people. She has been an Advisory Board member for...
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Visit County Durham
Annual Visitor Attractions Survey
2 Mar 2022
The VisitEngland Annual Attractions Survey is now live. This year's survey is particularly important as it will help VisitEngland understand the impact of the pandemic on the attractions sector in 2021 and inform industry and government about trends in the attractions' industry in England. If...
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Industry
Global Astrotourism Summit
2 Mar 2022
Stargazing has always been a popular activity, but there has been an unprecedented demand for dark sky tours and events since the pandemic. VCD Partner, Star Safaris, has co-ordinated with colleagues to develop the 'Astro-tourism Summit'. The summit provides 18 hours of talks, interviews and...
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Visit County Durham
Removal of COVID-19 restrictions
2 Mar 2022
Most COVID-19 guidance in England ended last Thursday 24th February. This means that businesses no longer need to do things such as ask people to show proof of negative testing, ask them to check-in, or keep records of customers, visitors and staff for 21 days to support NHS Test and Trace -...
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Industry
Check your energy efficiency
28 Feb 2022
Energy costs are rising rapidly which is having a huge impact on many businesses. But there are ways in which you could operate more efficiently, lowering your monthly bills and improving your carbon footprint. The Business Energy Efficiency Project (BEEP) is here to help County Durham SMEs make...
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Visit County Durham
Save the date
28 Feb 2022
Save the date for our Product Knowledge event taking place at Hallgarth The Manor House Durham on Wednesday 30th March 2022. Hear the latest updates for the upcoming season from the county's top attractions and events as well as meet some of our Supplier Partners. Email invitations will be sent...
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Visit County Durham
New global campaign launched
16 Feb 2022
As Britain gears up for a year of landmark events, VisitBritain has launched a new multi-million pound global campaign, 'Welcome to Another Side of Britain', to drive back inbound tourism. The campaign is targeting visitors that VisitBritain's consumer research shows have the greatest commitment...
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Industry
Attention Traders!
16 Feb 2022
The hugely popular Seaham Food Festival, set against the backdrop of the stunning Durham Heritage Coast, is taking place over two days Saturday 6th August and Sunday 7th August. As always, stalls serving up the finest local produce and exciting street food will be at the heart of the event....
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Industry
Back to the 1950s
16 Feb 2022
Beamish, The Living Museum of the North will open its 1950s terrace with a week of celebrations this Half Term, 19th to 27th February 2022. Front Street terrace features John's Cafe, Middleton's Quality Fish and Chips, Elizabeth's Hairdressers, and a recreation of the 1950s home of celebrated...
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Industry
Green light for EcoFest event at Dalton Park
16 Feb 2022
Dalton Park is gearing up for its first major event of 2022 with a brand-new concept - EcoFest! The two-day free festival is part of the ‘One Small Change’ campaign in partnership with Climate Action North and will showcase small changes everyone can make to reduce their environmental impact....
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Industry
Become more eco-friendly
9 Feb 2022
If you want to make your business more eco-friendly but are not sure where to start, the National Coastal Tourism Academy has produced a Top Ten list of simple first steps to operating more sustainably. As well as being great for the planet, some of their tips will help save money and help your...
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Visit County Durham
Tourism Sentiment Report
9 Feb 2022
The Visit County Durham commissioned Tourism Sentiment report for January is now available, providing valuable insights for the county's tourism businesses. The score measures Durham's ability to generate positive word of mouth about our tourism offer through online conversations. This month, key...
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Visit County Durham
Make the most of Dark Skies
9 Feb 2022
Did you know that Durham has some of the darkest skies in mainland Britain and has 12 dark sky discovery sites which provide great, accessible views of the night sky? Visit County Durham is hosting an online business support webinar on Tuesday 8 March 2022 from 10am-12noon to help you understand...
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