Industry News

The annual National Walking Month initiative takes place every May and encourages people to walk more to promote the physical and mental health benefits, and provides destinations with a platform to promote their walking offer. 

This year’s National Walking Month followed the recent 60^th anniversary of the Pennine Way, which saw Visit County Durham partnering with Visit Northumberland to invite North East photographer and content creator Emma Giles to explore the North East stretch of this iconic trail. 

In the blog, which received over 500 views, Emma shares her top unmissable sights along the trail, from epic waterfalls and historic castles to hidden gems: 

60 Years of Adventure: Must-See Sights Along The Pennine Way’s Northern Stretch 

Other activity has included social media and e-newsletter content.   

Michelle Gorman, managing director, Visit County Durham said: ‘Getting out into the fresh air is important and it is important that we use initiatives such as National Walking Month for the benefit of the county.  Durham has so much to offer visitors who want to enjoy the outdoors, and working in partnership with Visit Northumberland helps us to showcase the North East as a great place to explore and to help boost the visitor economy and businesses.” 

Andrew Fox, chair of Visit Northumberland, said, "It is always a pleasure to showcase the incredible landscapes that Northumberland has to offer and what better time to do it than the 60th anniversary of the Pennine Way. It is also a brilliant opportunity to work in partnership with Visit County Durham as we showcase some of the highlights across the North East as a region, encouraging visitors to cross borders and stay in the North East for longer and discover the breadth that the region has to offer."