Industry News

With the nights drawing in and the leaves starting to turn, there is no escaping that summer has come to an end, and what a summer it has been. From the opening of new attractions in Beamish Museum's 1950s town to record breaking attendance at events such as Seaham Food Festival and Gaia at Durham Cathedral - the tourism sector's busiest season certainly lived up to its reputation.

Another highlight was the Visit County Durham Garden Party, which provided a wonderful opportunity for us to catch up with friends and colleagues, old and new. Congratulations again to Ian Bean of Beamish Museum, who was crowned Durham Tourism Superstar at the event.

Earlier this month, The Auckland Project opened the Faith Museum in Bishop Auckland, further enhancing Durham's heritage offer and generating fantastic national media coverage.

As we head into autumn, there is even more to look forward to, including the North Pennines Stargazing Festival (20th October to 5th November) and Lumiere, the UK's light Art Biennial (16th to 19th November).

The new season also brings new opportunities, including the launch of our latest national destination marketing campaign, Do Durham Differently. Running until Spring 2024, Do Durham Differently will deliver high profile marketing activity aimed at encouraging visitors to take a fresh look, explore more and try out new activities. There are opportunities for all Visit County Durham partners to get involved.

Our commitment to business support also continues, with upcoming training courses including our Astro Tourism Workshop (14th November) and stargazing tour (6th December), which provide knowledge and advice on how to take advantage of this growing market. And later that month, we will deliver a business meetings and events training session (22nd November) aimed at helping businesses to maximise opportunities this market presents. 

Best wishes,
Michelle