Visit County Durham led a delegation at the British Tourism and Travel Show, held in Birmingham earlier this month, showcasing the region to group travel organisers, tour and coach operators, on the first ever Destination North East England stand.

The event, the UK’s leading group travel exhibition, attracted over 2,000 industry professionals and more than 200 exhibitors. Visit County Durham coordinated the stand on behalf of the wider region, bringing together partners including Visit Northumberland; NewcastleGateshead Initiative; The Auckland Project; Alnwick Castle; The Alnwick Garden; Hilton Garden Inn Sunderland; Beamish Museum; Kynren; and Ad Gefrin.

The show provided an opportunity to meet key buyers from across the UK and internationally, promoting the North East’s unique visitor experiences and quality accommodation.

Michelle Gorman, managing director at Visit County Durham, said: "Drawing on our extensive experience in delivering destination stands at domestic travel trade events, we were delighted to deliver the North East stand at the British Tourism and Travel Show. With stand partners from across the region, we ensured that we had a compelling presence, and feedback from those that joined us has been excellent, with interest in continued collaboration."

Wendy Wilshere, head of casting and engagement at 11 Arches, said: "Being part of this stand delivered by Visit County Durham allowed us to showcase Kynren to the group travel market in a way we couldn’t do alone. It’s fantastic to work alongside other North East attractions and collectively highlight the breadth of experiences available here. This collaboration really helps buyers see how they can piece together memorable itineraries across the region."

Find out more about the county’s travel trade work at: DiscoverDurham.co.uk