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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

Visit County Durham

Bumper investment drives continued growth for Durham’s visitor economy

11 Jun 2025

Latest tourism figures show a major boost for Durham’s visitor economy as the county sees overall visitor expenditure rise to a record £1.38billion, with the number of day visitors now 7.6% higher than pre pandemic figures, and overnight visitors also rising by 1.8%.

Industry

VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2025 winners announced

9 Jun 2025

VisitEngland has revealed the winners of its VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2025, highlighting the very best of England’s outstanding tourism industry. Gold, Silver and Bronze winners have been announced across 17 categories ranging from ‘New Tourism Business of the Year’ and ‘Pub...

Industry

Volunteer at Lumiere: Applications open this Volunteers’ Week

6 Jun 2025

Volunteers who help run community events and cultural activities across County Durham are being thanked for their hard work and commitment. Durham County Council is marking Volunteers’ Week, which runs from 2 to 8 June, by hosting a series of celebration events recognising the thousands of...

Industry

MasterChef Champion Dan Merriman partners with Faru for exclusive three-night tasting menu in Durham

4 Jun 2025

 Food lovers in the North East are in for a treat! From Thursday 12th June to Saturday 14th June, MasterChef: The Professionals 2024 winner Dan Merriman will join Jake Siddle, head chef and co-founder of Faru, for a limited, collaborative tasting menu at the acclaimed fine dining restaurant in...

Industry

Top TV chef to headline Seaham Food Festival

29 May 2025

TV presenter, chef and culinary author John Torode MBE has been announced as the headline chef at this year’s Seaham Food Festival. The Durham County Council-run festival will be back on Seaham’s coastline on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 August, offering a weekend full of tasty treats from the...

Industry

Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa opens the barn door

27 May 2025

A summer events space at one of the North East’s top hotels has been given a stylish upgrade. Every year Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa near Durham erects a marquee which is used from May to September for weddings. But this time round the award-winning hotel has upped its game – by creating a...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...